Last week’s lesson in Physics courtesy of Lead Teacher, Glen Hordges:
Efficiency = Distance x 454 / Weight (gm) – the ratio of effective output to the total input!
Students of the Reef House Teen Center had the opportunity to plan, design, and construct a poster car using the following materials: one sheet of poster board, one plastic drinking straw, two P.C. 1/2 x 3 1/2 hanger rods, 1 ruler, pair of scissors, a glue gun, a compass, scrap paper & a pencil. The goal was to transport a “C” battery while traveling a maximum distance beyond a 3×4 ft. launching ramp. The group with the lightest car gaining the greatest distance would achieve the best efficiency overall.
In groups of two, students were given a set of instructions to follow and had to describe the procedures used to construct their car and explain why it is important to follow precise details in constructing any project. Students were tasked with sketching out their designs first, cutting out and attaching all parts of the car together, and ensuring that the wheels were parallel so that the car traveled in a straight, forward path. Below are some of the actual cars our students built.
This was a great opportunity for students to incorporate the fundamentals of physics and a simple engineering concept into their summer learning experience. Congratulations to our winner, Alex B, our future astronomical engineer.
