1. Foundations of Technology Structural Efficiency
STEMCenter for Teaching & Learning™ Engineering byDesign™
12/01/2009
Foundations of Technology Structural Efficiency
TITLE SLIDE
Teacher Resource – Unit 2 Lesson 1
© 2013 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™
Foundations of Technology
© International Technology Education Assoc

2. STEMCenter for Teaching & Learning™ Engineering byDesign™
12/01/2009
The BIG Idea
Big Idea:
The Engineering Design Process is a systematic, iterative problem-solving method that produces solutions to meet human needs and wants.
[Authors: Please include teacher notes appropriately.]
© 2013 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™
Foundations of Technology
© International Technology Education Assoc

3. STEMCenter for Teaching & Learning™ Engineering byDesign™
12/01/2009
Who’s Stronger?
Who’s stronger, the elephant or the ant?
[Authors: Please include teacher notes appropriately.]
© 2013 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™
Foundations of Technology
© International Technology Education Assoc

4. STEMCenter for Teaching & Learning™ Engineering byDesign™
12/01/2009
Who’s Stronger?
Asian elephants are often employed to lift thousands of pounds of timber for logging efforts.
Yet, an ant is much stronger pound for pound.
An ant can easily lift many times its own body weight due to their small size which creates a greater cross sectional muscle mass
An ant is a more efficient worker
[Authors: Please include teacher notes appropriately.]
© 2013 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™
Foundations of Technology
© International Technology Education Assoc

5. STEMCenter for Teaching & Learning™ Engineering byDesign™
12/01/2009
What is Efficiency?
Efficiency is a ratio of your output versus your input
Efficiency is the ratio of the resources developed versus the resource supplied.
Basically, efficiency measures the extent to which your device is functioning in the best possible manner.
[Authors: Please include teacher notes appropriately.]
© 2013 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™
Foundations of Technology
© International Technology Education Assoc

6. Structural Efficiency
STEMCenter for Teaching & Learning™ Engineering byDesign™
12/01/2009
Structural Efficiency
In structural engineering efficiency is measured as the weight being supported divided by the weight of the supporting structure.
Efficiency = the breaking weight
the weight of the crane boom
The units must be the same so they will cancel out!
Efficiency is a unit-less number (a ratio)
[Authors: Please include teacher notes appropriately.]
© 2013 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™
Foundations of Technology
© International Technology Education Assoc