Problems in Tech Summary

Overall in this class I have learned a lot about new technological concepts and about working effectively as a team. I learned how to better divide work up among other people, allowing us to get a task done much quicker and more well done. I am also glad to have had Austin as a partner, as we work very well as a team and bring different ideas to the class.

I learned a lot about different forces, such as drag and lift with the aerodynamics project, and also how to get the most potential energy into usable kinetic energy with our catapult. I am now much more confident with many more power tools, and can create better projects. I am glad to have taken this class, as I have learned a lot.

Storm the Castle Project

For our second project, we were given the task of creating a catapult, ballista, tribuchet or other siege engine that had to be able to launch marshmallows 15-25 ft away. The machine had to be consistent and must be able to fit on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.

The concepts we learned about for this project were mainly regarding energy and energy transfer from potential to kinetic like when the rubber band compresses and decompresses.

The learning goals for this project were to be able to build a machine that can accurately and consistently launch a marshmallow while being confined to a 8.5 x 11 in space for building.

For our design we started with a simple catapult with a 15 in lever situated between two pieces of wood on a dowel rod. Above the lever is another piece of wood where rubber bands connect to the arm. This allowed us to get a lot more power from the catapult. On the bottom a locking mechanism was added so it would not fire unless we meant it to.

Our catapult was able to shoot accurately up to 25 ft away. The catapult also held up very well through every test and was able to launch the marshmallow into a bucket every 1 out of 3 attempts.

We had to make extensive redesigns to our project to make it launch far. Originally it would only launch 8 feet. We had to change where the rubber bands were mounted to the base, and this gave us a lot of improvement. 

For this project we had no lack of resources. First, we have a lot of time to work on this project, over 2 weeks to build and perfect. We also had access to good tools including band saws, drill presses and jigsaws.

The biggest challenge was finding out how to increase our range as much as possible. We found out the maximum trajectory comes from launching the projectile at a 45 degree angle.

I learned that redesign is extremely important. For this catapult our redesign increased our final range by over 400%, going from 8 ft all the way to 25 ft.

For this project we were given the task of building a CO2 powered car, and making it run a 20 yard track as fast as possible. The car could take on just about any design we wanted, just as long as the total weight was above 5 ounces when finished.

Before we began building, we first had to understand the basic concepts of aerodynamics such as drag and lift forces. Drag refers to forces acting opposite to the relative movement of an object, and lift being a force pushing up on the object.

The main learning goal for this project was to reduce drag by as much as possible, therefore making the vehicle travel 20 yards as fast as possible.

For our design, we started with a simple triangular shape. We then began to cut down the piece to reduce weight, and make it more aerodynamic. We also sanded down the edges to allow for smoother airflow over the car.

Overall our car performed very well.  Out of all the other groups our car was the second fastest to 20 yards.

The only redesign we had to  make for this project was making it more lightweight. The original design was a bit to heavy, and we simply cut it down a bit and sanded off the edges a bit more to get as close to the target 5 ounces as possible.

For this project we had no lack of resources. First, we have a lot of time to work on this project, over 2 weeks to build and perfect. We also had access to good tools including band saws, drill presses and jigsaws.

The biggest challenge was really just finding out how to make the car as fast as possible. Getting as close to the target weight as we could while making it as aerodynamic as possible.

From this project I learned a lot about aerodynamics and the forces that act upon a moving object. I also learned how making small changed can have a huge impact on the performance of aerodynamics.

Summary

Overall I have learned a lot taking Intro to Technology. I have learned more in detail about the basic machines and how they work, and how to apply them to real world systems. I think this class also helped me brainstorm better by thinking outside of the box and always finding a way to improve and existing idea. I have also become better at working in groups and managing time well when given a task with a strict deadline.

Bridge Challenge

For my final project, I chose to construct a bridge out of Popsicle sticks, and make it able to hold up to as much force as possible, and a seismograph that goes along with it. For this challenge I was only allowed to use 120 popsicle sticks, and they could not completely overlap on each other.

In this project we had to learn about the different types of bridges and how they are able to support so much weight. One main thing that we studied was trusses and how these triangular shaped structures are able to hold tremendous amounts of weight, and stand up to these forces over many years of wear.

The goals of this project were to apply what we had learned about these structures and create a bridge that will be tested for its strength.

The design that I chose to build was kind of a basic design making extensive use of trusses on the sides. For the top and bottom I used a simple ladder like design. For this bridge, I only built it out of 60 or so popsicle sticks, making it weigh about 100 grams. Surprisingly it was able to withstand 52 kilograms of force before becoming a very cinematic explosion of popsicle sticks.

When seeing the bridge break all at once, we figured that this could mean many parts of the bridge all failed at once, meaning there was no main weak point in the structure, making this a fairly good design. \

If I were to redesign this bridge, I would add more supports on the top and bottom, as they did not seem to hold very well against resistance. Also we could have added more trusses by making them more narrow, possibly increasing the strength

For resources we have materials, white glue and 120 popsicle sticks to work with. Time, we had around 2 weeks of 70 minutes a day in class to work. People, just me and Enrico working on the bridge. Energy, the power of coffee keeping me working.

The biggest challenge was definitely completing the bridge on time. It became very tedious as I glued a couple parts and them had to wait for the glue to dry before more parts could be added on. The last 2 days were quite a struggle against time for me.

From the project I learned about all types of bridges and the amazing strength that trusses can bring to a bridge. Most importantly managing time was a very big part in this project, and I think this helped teach me how having two people can really help save a lot of time.

Mouse Trap Powered Car

For this project, our objective was to create a vehicle and make it travel as far a possible using the energy from a mousetrap spring to propel it, and use the spring to pull the axle and make it turn.

Some of the concepts that we learned about were kinetic energy, and types of levers, and how they work, and how you can change the length of the lever to change how much force is applied over a certain distance. I also learned about the wheel to axle ratio, and how you can manipulate it to increase acceleration or efficiency.

Learning goals for this project were mainly to understand the use of a few basic machines, like the wheel and axle, including wheel to axle ratio, and the basics of how to use levers.

For my design I decided to use records for the wheels as they would provide more distance per rotation of the axle. As for the body itself, we tried to make it small and lightweight so less force is needed to move it. We also put the mousetrap on the side so that the lever is directly over the rear axle. Our car was able to travel a maximum of 45 feet on our best trial.

As for positive feedback, we learned that shorter levers worked better on this particular design, as we needed more force in order turn the larger, heavier wheels.

The resources of technology were materials, for the record wheels, the plywood chassis, the mousetrap, the lever and zip ties, the CDs, and the mousetrap itself. Time, we had about 3 weeks to research and build our car. People, we all had a group of 2 people so that the work could be split up. Tools, we used a lot of different tools like band saws, scroll saws, and hacksaws.

One thing that we had to overcome was trying to get the wheels lined up correctly, so that the the vehicle will move forward straight.

I learned a lot from this challenged, but most of what I learned related to being able to get the most out of the bit of kinetic energy that we had built up in the spring. Such and using large wheels to get a greater distance per rotation, and using the lever to maximize force.

Egg Drop Challenge

For this project we were given a simple task; create an egg protection system that will be able to withstand falling from various heights, that is relatively inexpensive and easy to construct.

Before we began building, we learned about the basics of how cars protect the drivers by extending the period of impact and reducing the amount of force. We also learned about how airbags work, working against the inertia of the driver stopping them from moving forward. The goal is to learn how cars work to protect people, and how laws of physics apply to it.


For my project I took a long piece of pipe insulation foam, and cut it into pieces forming a larger hollow tube, with room to hold the egg in the center. We then filled the center with cotton to further absorb the force of the impact. Our design turned out to be very successful, withstanding drops from 36 feet.

We received positive feedback on the first challenge when given limited supplies, and we learned that we need a good way to hold the egg in place, so it will not fall out and break.

Some of the technological resources we used were as follows: capital, people, tools and most importantly time. For capital, money was used to purchase the foam insulation, and people as in me and my partner Enrico. As for tools I only use very basic things such as a pair of scissors and a razor blade. For time we had around 2 weeks to research, design and build.

My biggest challenge was trying to design the best possible Egg Drop Protection system that we could, and figure out what kind of materials we could use.  We needed 2 types of foam or soft marterials, 1 that could hold it form and take a lot of blows, and another type that was soft and could be use to fill the device acting as a kind of pillow for the egg.

From this project I learned a lot more then just trying to protect an egg from falling a few feet. I also learned how car protection systems work, such as airbags and crumble zones work by spreading the force of impact over a long period of time. We also learned more about the basic laws of physics, and how they applied to car crashes such as inertia and the force of the driver moving forward in a crash.