Instant Challenges:

Cable Car:

In our PLTW class, we were given half an hour to design and build a device to move a small Lego figurine as far as possible across the room on a fishing line cable. A team member was allowed to give the car an initial push. We were given one sheet of cardstock, two tongue depressors, two paper clips, two rubber bands, one straw, twelve inches of string, six inches of masking tape, a small Lego figure, and scissors (tool only- cannot be used in design). My group, consisting of Nisha, Sarah, Jolin, Jenny, and myself, were given a few minutes to brainstorm and come up with a combined idea. Then we were allowed ten minutes to build and make changes as necessary. We were then given one minute to test and five minuters to redesign, before we presented. our idea was basically a small baket (made from the cardstock and tape) 

 

Fling Machine:

In this instant challenge, we were challenged to build a device that would send a cotton ball as far as possible through the air. We were given one cotton ball, one balloon (which we traded for a spoon), a rubber band, two paper clips, one piece of aluminum foil, two coffee stirrer sticks, two straws, and two pipe cleaners.Our idea for this machine was basically to catapult the cotton ball by bending the spoon and releasing. We soon realized, however, that we had to have the spoon stand on its own. Once we had cleared that up, we started building a base for our sppon using the materials given. We bent the paperclips around the spoon and threaded a pipe cleaner through the paperclip for stability. When that didnt work, we attatched the spoon to the straw, in hopes that the weight would distibute. On either side of the straw, we put the tin foil so that the weight would the straw down on either end. We later recieved tape, which we put on the spoon, and the two foiled ends of the straw.  When we finished, we got to launch our machine, it didnt fare as well as we thought. The farthest the cotton ball ended up getting was measly twenty-four inches, and the shortest distant travelled was a pathetic zero inches. 

 

           Process

 Our team was given fifteen minutes to brainstorm and draw a concept sketch. We each had three different ideas that we put in a design matrix to evaluate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were then given ten minutes to build and test our solution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we were given five attempts to launch the cotton ball, and recorded the measurements which we put in an excel document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our idea for this machine was basically to catapult the cotton ball by bending the spoon and releasing. We soon realized, however, that we had to have the spoon stand on its own. Once we had cleared that up, we started building a base for our sppon using the materials given. We bent the paperclips around the spoon and threaded a pipe cleaner through the paperclip for stability. When that didnt work, we attatched the spoon to the straw, in hopes that the weight would distibute. On either side of the straw, we put the tin foil so that the weight would the straw down on either end. We later recieved tape, which we put on the spoon, and the two foiled ends of the straw.  When we finished, we got to launch our machine, it didnt fare as well as we thought. The farthest the cotton ball ended up getting was measly twenty-four inches, and the shortest distant travelled was a pathetic zero inches.