Engineering Modules
The Engineering Design Process:
Engineers use a process
that is similar to what you use when you perform a science experiment.
They use a
step-by-step procedure to lead them to the answer for a particular problem.
The difference
between the scientist and the engineer is that while the scientist may spend
much time
looking for answers,
often pursuing the most general understanding of an underlying principle,
the engineer will
usually narrow the time frame allotted for an answer and narrow the definition
of both
the problem and the
“answer.”
The engineering
answer to a problem may change radically simply due to a change in financing.
Engineering involves
the process of identifying the parameters for both the problem and the solution
and using them to
evaluate possible solutions for a particular problem.
Read more about the
steps involved
in engineering
solutions to problems: Click
here for related activities
[Step 1: State the Problem] [Activity 1]
[Step 2: Redefine the Problem (I)] [Activity 2]
[Step 3: Identify Constraints] [Activity 3]
[Step 4: Identify Alternative Solutions] [Activity 4]
[Step 5: Select the Most Viable Solution] [Activity 5]
[Step 6: Redefine the Problem (II)] [Activity 6]
[Step 7: Refine and add specs] [Activity 7]
[Step 8: Brainstorm Alternatives] [Activity 8]
[Step 9: Reiterate until Problem is Solved] [Activity 9]
[Step
10:Select the most viable alternative] [Activity
10]
Engineering Projects
Chemical Engineers Working on the
Energy
crisis
©Lockheed Martin Corporation
(NEED PERMISSION!
http://www.discoverengineering.org/Engineers/aerospace_engineering.asp)
Modeling
Air Flow Around a Fighter
Bottle Rockets
WATER ROCKETS OVERVIEW
From
NASA
Bottle
rockets or water rockets, what are they?
When someone
mentions bottle rockets, do you envision placing a firecracker attached to a
stick into a glass bottle and launching it?
Water
rockets have been a source of entertainment and education for many years. They
are usually made with an empty two-liter plastic soda bottle by adding water
and pressurizing it with air for launching (like the image to the right).
Soda
companies began using plastic bottles in 1970. The Polyethylene Terephthalate
(PET) material used in most plastic soda bottles today was introduced in 1973.
Water
rockets are used in schools to help students understand the principles of
aeronautics. The Science Olympiads provide challenges of bottle rocket design
and flight, including altitudes and distances reached. Many interesting designs
and additional information on bottle rockets can be found with a simple Web
search.
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Background Science
How do water-bottle rocket work?
Newton's third law is at work here: the bottle
pushes some its water downward and the water responds by pushing upward on the
bottle, propelling the bottle upward. In that respect, the water-bottle rocket
is like any other rocket. All a rocket needs is fuel and energy. Pushing the
fuel backward is what propels the rocket forward-action and reaction. Energy is
what allows the rocket to push that fuel backward. In many rockets, the fuel
and the energy source are the same thing. Chemical reactions in the fuel
release energy and this energy allows the rocket to push the fuel backward.
However, the water-bottle rocket uses two separate
materials as fuel and energy source. The fuel is water and the energy source is
compressed air. Having water as the fuel makes sense because water is dense and
provides lots of inertia for the rocket to push against as it throws water
backward out its tail. Having the compressed air as fuel is a good idea because
it has little weight for the amount of energy it stores and doesn't load down
the rocket.
At launch, most of the water-bottle rocket's mass
is water. And with air packed tightly inside, the rocket has lots of energy.
When you finally let water start streaming out of the bottle, the compressed
air pushes downward hard on the water and the water pushes upward hard on the
compressed air. The air conveys this upward force to the entire bottle and up
it goes.
From PhysicsCentral
Bottle Rocket Launch
(Movie)
Basic Bottle Rocket Instructions
Rocket
Launch Demo (you specify parameters for launch and watch the simulation results)
Components of the Water Bottle Rocket
"Kind
of a Drag" - WATER ROCKET DRAG
Bridge
BRIDGE OVERVIEW
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Background Science
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Components of the Bridge
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Mousetrap Car
Components of the Mousetrap Car
MOUSETRAP CAR OVERVIEW
A mousetrap car is a miniature vehicle powered by the spring device of a mousetrap. Building mousetrap cars is used as a project in many middle school and high school science classes.
The
mousetrap car is a problem solving activity in which students are encouraged to
develop a self-propelled vehicle by harnessing the potential energy that can be
stored in a mousetrap spring and transferring it to wheels to propel the
vehicle. Many challenges must be solved, including developing methods to
transfer power, optimizing the ratio of various part sizes, maximizing the car's
performance with minimum weight, overcoming friction, and attaching parts to
the car.
Doc Fizzix says: There is no one "right way" to build a mousetrap powered vehicle. The best approach is to apply your best understanding of the laws of physics without over exaggerating any one concept to your design. To build the "perfect" mousetrap racer you must try and find a harmonious balance between all the elements and variables that will affect a mouse trap vehicles performance.
The first step to making a good mouse trap powered car is simple, put something together and find out how it works. Once you have something working you can begin to isolate the variables that are affecting the performance and learn to adjust to improve your results.
Building mousetrap cars is a simple process of design engineering: you build, you test and experiment, you change, and you do it all over again.
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Background Science
The spring of a mousetrap can store a considerable amount of
potential energy when it is pulled back and its tension is increased. When released,
this energy can be transformed into the kinetic energy of movement, making the
mousetrap the perfect "motor" 
for
a homemade car. As the trap closes, the metal bar pulls a string that has been
wound around the axle of the mousetrap car. Alternatively, the spring may turn
a series of gears. This causes the axle
and attached wheels to spin, propelling the car forward.
Scientific concepts that might be covered in the course of a mousetrap car project include:
- Kinetic and Potential Energy
- Mousetrap Cars and Newton's Laws
- Mousetrap Cars and Torque
- Mousetrap Cars and Friction
- Rotational Inertia and Mousetrap Cars
- Wheels and Axles for Mousetrap Racers
- Increasing Wheel Traction
- Wheel
and axle
- Levers
- potential and kinetic
energy
- Hooke's
law
- Inertia
- Rotational inertia
- Torque
- Work
- Power
More Doc Fizzix’ Mousetrap
Cars
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Components of the Mousetrap Car
Sand Structure
Components of the Sand Structure
SAND STRUCTURE OVERVIEW
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Background Science
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Components of the Sand Structure
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Rubber Band Car
Components of the Rubber Band Car
RUBBER BAND CAR OVERVIEW
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Background Science
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Components of the Rubber Band Car
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Free Design
Engineering Problem Solving Background
FREE DESIGN OVERVIEW
Guided Independent Research.
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Engineering Problem Solving Background
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Components
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Last revised: Date