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Copyright © 2016 Cyber Innovation Center. All Rights Reserved. Not for Distribution.

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Welcome to STEM EDA!

Grade Progression

What is STEM EDA?

Goals of Course

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STEM Explore, Discover, Apply (STEM EDA) is designed as a three course progression through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) topics. Students begin by exploring STEM concepts (STEM Explore, 6th

grade), then transition to discovering fundamental concepts (STEM Discover, 7th grade), followed by the application of the concepts (STEM Apply, 8th grade). Throughout each course in the sequence, the engineering design process guides the students through the design and implementation of the projects and concepts.

6th 7th 8 th

STEM EDA engages middle school students through a series of hands-on projects that help improve their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. All projects seamlessly integrate the engineering design process which allows students to creatively explore STEM through design.

This multi-grade level curricula utilizes liberal arts disciplines to provide meaning and depth to the content. Through STEM EDA, students develop invaluable skills

focusing on leadership, team-building, creativity, and communication.

STEM EDA’s modular nature provides ultimate flexibility to schools. Teachers can implement the curricula as a standalone elective course, insert specific modules into an existing class, or provide the modules as an after school program.

Foster excitement for STEM Develop a level of exploration in middle school students through STEM projects Provide a context for the engineering design process through “classic” STEM projects Drive towards fundamental concepts (at the grade appropriate level) through STEM experiences

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A Few Things You Will Notice

GREEN BOXDefinitions and notes will be pointed out to the students within this area.

“ that is very

contagious!

STEM Apply: Egg Drop

There is an energy here

My students are motivated and excitedto come to school and work on this module.

Students who were unmotivated and uninvolved are now

key players in their small groups and have found an”interest in academics they didn’t think they had.-Middle School Teacher

The stop sign indicates the end of a section and is a good/suggested stopping place. This symbol is visible in both the student edition and the teacher manual.

Cyber Pop Outs connect the STEM topic to the cyber world.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award Number, 2013-PD-127-000001, Modification #2. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

CREATED BY

CALCULATION BOXSpace for students to work problems.

7 1 23

ENGINEERINGDESIGN

PROCESSUSING DESIGN TO DRIVE CURRICULAR EXPLORATION

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Improve & Redesign

Test6&

Evaluate

Identify the Problem Research

the Problem

Brainstorm Solutions

the Prototype

a

5Prototype

4Choose ™

Create & Develop

a Solution

EDP

The process contains overarching themes as well as defined steps. Use the process as a quick reference throughout the module.

Iteration – Revisiting steps provides the opportunity to improve upon designs.

Communication – Within a design team, communication is essential to reach an agreement on a solution.

Teamwork – Group cooperation provides diverse perspectives and help in accomplishing goals.

Creativity – STEM and liberal arts disciplines are integrated to encourage unique solutions.

Imagination – Opportunity to apply creative thoughts during development offers unlimited options.

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Egg Drop

CREATED BY

1Copyright © 2016 Cyber Innovation Center. All Rights Reserved. Not for Distribution.


All materials can be purchased at your local Superstore or Discount Department Store unless otherwise mentioned.

Per Class

Materials DepartmentScissors School Supplies or

OfficeMarkers School Supplies or

OfficeRulers School Supplies or

OfficeCalculators School Supplies or

Office

Per Team

Materials Department60 Centimeters of clear tape or masking tape School Supplies or Office

5 Rubber bands (any size) School Supplies or Office

10 Paper clips School Supplies or Office

1 Sheet of cardstock School Supplies or Office

60 Centimeters of twine Crafts or Hardware

1 Plastic egg (to be used as a substitute for the real egg during construction)

Seasonal*Can be purchased online from Amazon.com or similar 30 Straws (flexible straws preferred, any diameter) Grocery

2 Small (4 gallon) garbage bags Grocery

1 Large egg (purchased near Egg Drop test date) Grocery

2 Foam cups (minimum 8.5 ounces) Grocery

1 Foam bowl Grocery

1 Meter of toilet paper Grocery

25 Cotton balls Pharmacy or Cosmetics

Filler to make the plastic egg weigh 60 grams (marble, sand, sugar, salt, etc.)

Scale to weigh plastic egg with filler

** Additional materials may be provided at the teacher’s discretion**


Materials List

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Let’s jump right in! For this class, we will build vessels that will hold real eggs. The goal is to design the vessel so the egg will survive a fall from a specified height.

• 60 Centimeters of tape

• 5 Rubber bands

• 10 Paper clips

• 1 Sheet of cardstock

• 60 Centimeters of twine

• 1 Plastic egg (to be used as a substitute for the real egg during construction)

• 30 Straws

• 2 Small (4 gallon) garbage bags

• 1 Large egg (purchased near Egg Drop test date)

• 2 Foam cups (minimum 8.5 ounces)

• 1 Foam bowl

• 1 Meter of toilet paper

• 25 Cotton balls

• Filler to make the plastic egg weigh 60 grams (marble, sand, sugar, salt, etc.)

• Scale to weigh plastic egg with filler

**Additional materials may be provided at the teacher’s discretion.**

• Scissors

• Markers• Rulers

• Calculator

A VESSEL... WHAT IS THAT?A vessel is a container for holding

something.In our case, that “something” is an

egg!


SECTION 1: BUILDING VESSELS

Materials for Each Team

Construction Tools and Other Supplies


• You are ONLY allowed to use the materials listed in the materials section and any other materials provided by your teacher. Construction tools are not included in the allowed materials.

• No restrictions on size; keep in mind it must fit out of the window where it is being dropped.

• You cannot put any adhesive material (e.g., tape) directly on the egg.

• You cannot alter the egg’s state in any manner (e.g., boil the egg, paint the egg, etc.).

• You ONLY have the time in this class to build your vessels. The drop WILL occur during the next class.

• You must be able to insert the real egg into your vessel without taking apart any portion of your vessel. For example, if you take out any cotton balls when putting the real egg into your vessel, the cotton balls will have to remain out of the vessel. Access to the egg is essential!

• Plastic eggs will be provided to guide in the design of your vessel.

• Filler such as a marble, sand, sugar, salt, etc., will be placed inside the plastic egg to simulate the weight of the real egg. You may include the plastic egg and the filler in your final design.

• Large eggs will be used.

• Real eggs will be provided by your teacher on the day of the drop. Keep in mind when designing the vessels you will need to replace your fake egg with a real egg. In other words, do not permanently enclose the fake egg in your vessel.

• Be creative!


Restrictions

Additional Notes

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Now it is time to test the vessels. We will go to a specified location and drop each vessel froma given height. Before we do any testing, let’s look at each other’s designs.

Each team must present their vessel design in front of the class. Use the following questions to guide your presentations. Presentations will be about three minutes each. Take ten minutes to answer the questions and prepare to present.

Describe your vessel design (e.g., materials used, shapes, size, method of building, etc.).

Why did you choose the design?

What do you think is the weakest part of the design?

How might the egg crack?


SECTION 2: TESTING VESSELS

Preparing to Test the Vessels


Be sure to pay close attention to what happens as the vessels are dropped and make contact with the ground. Use the questions below to record what you observe during the testing of your vessel.

Did your egg survive the fall?

If your egg survived, how did your vessel design keep the egg from cracking?

If your egg cracked, what part of the vessel failed?

What are three things you would change/improve on your vessel design even if your egg survived?

1.

2.

3.


During the Vessel Testing

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The engineering design process is a methodical process used by real engineers to aid in design.

THE PROCESS CONSISTS OF THE SEVEN STEPS:

1. Identify the Problem

2. Research the Problem

3. Brainstorm Solutions

4. Choose a Solution

5. Create and Develop a Prototype

6. Test and Evaluate the Prototype

7. Improve and Redesign


SECTION 3: ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

What is the Engineering Design Process?

WHAT IS A PROTOTYPE?

A prototype is the initial

full-scale design created or

constructed to


How do you think following each step of the engineering design process can help us with

the design of our vessels?

Circle the steps in the process that you used for your design.

Pick one of the steps we either neglected or just did not spend enough time on and write how doing that step or spending more time on it would have helped us build better vessels.

What step did you start with for your vessel design?

Do you think you were prepared to start where you did?

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If you were not ready, it is okay! Since Step 7 is “Improve & Redesign” and

the process is iterative, we can redesign our vessels starting at Step 1!

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Why do you think iteration is important to the design process?

Why do you think communication is important to the design process?

Why do you think teamwork is important to the design process?

Why do you think creativity is important to the design process?

Why do you think imagination is important to the design process?


The process contains overarching themes as well as defined steps!

• Iteration

• Communication

• Teamwork

• Creativity

• Imagination

WHAT DOES ITERATION MEAN?Iteration means the process involves

repetition.


You are going to become very familiar with the engineering design process. The process will guide you throughout all the projects in this course. Instead of only talking about the engineering design process, let’s put it to practice. Now you will experience the process first hand. Let’s try the egg drop project again, starting at Step 1 of the engineering design process!

What is the first step?

Before engineers begin any design project, they must first understand what they are trying to accomplish. To understand, they must define exactly what the problem is. Once the problem is identified, they can always refer back to the problem statement to ensure they are staying on course while trying to solve the problem.

Why do you think it is good to clearly identify the problem at the beginning of design?

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SECTION 4: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM

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Before identifying the problem, look back at the project instructions. You will build vessels that will hold real eggs. The goal is to design the vessel so the egg will survive a fall from a specified height. You can refer back to the first few pages of the workbook for materials, construction tools, restrictions, and additional notes on the project.

Now that you reviewed the project instructions, start identifying the problem! Use these first few questions to help you identify the problem.

What do you have to design?

What are you trying to accomplish with the project?

What restraints do you have?

Write a sentence or two that identifies the problem.



Why do you think anyone would want to drop an egg off a building in hopes that it would not break? How often do you think an egg is dropped off a building? Probably not very often, but what if the egg symbolizes something else? Many times engineers perform experiments with objects that represent other things. This way they can visualize what will happen in the real scenario. Our egg dropping from the building can represent a variety of scenarios.

What do you think the egg drop represents?

Many times, countries will provide food and other supplies to refugees in need in other countries. In particular, the United States has provided supplies for refugees in Africa and the Middle East. Sometimes they use parachutes to drop the supplies and other times they simply tilt the plane and slide supplies down to the refugees without parachutes. Many factors go into the design of the vessels so that the supplies reach the refugees intact.

Our egg falling from a specified height will symbolize dropping supplies to refugees in a foreign nation! Prior to dropping the vessels to the refugees, the designers will have to test the vessels for durability and effectiveness. By making smaller models of the vessels, we can use the egg to represent the supplies being dropped from the airplane.

What else do you think governments and humane organizations might consider when

dropping supplies to refugees?

COST is a major consideration! The vessel designers must keep in mind the cost it takes to produce the vessel. Keeping costs down is important in any design! Your vessel will have to be cost efficient. Thus, each material used in the vessel design has a cost associated with it. Your vessels have no size restriction, but the smaller the vessel is, the more vessels you can fit on the cargo plane to be dropped to the refugees. Therefore, a cost is also associated with the size of the vessel.


WHAT IS A REFUGEE?A refugee is a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape

danger or persecution.

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Let’s revisit the materials allowed for the project and their costs. You must keep the cost of your vessel below $100.

Materials Cost ($)

5 straws 5.001 centimeters of tape 0.5010 cotton balls 10.001 rubber band 1.001 foam cup (maximum 8.5 fl oz) 10.001 foam bowl 5.001 sheet of toilet paper 0.501 empty toilet paper roll 3.001 sheet of cardstock 2.001 paper clip 1.0016 centimeters of twine 10.001 small (4 gallon) garbage bag 20.001 shoe box 25.00

Dimensions (D) Cost ($)

D ≤ 16 cm x 16 cm x 30 cm 5.0016 cm x 16 cm x 30 cm < D ≤ 30 cm x 30 cm x 45 cm 20.0030 cm x 30 cm x 45 cm < D ≤ 45 cm x 45 cm x 55 cm 35.00D > 45 cm x 45 cm x 55 cm 50.00

With this new context and restriction on cost, let’s re-identify the problem for the egg drop. Remember the process is iterative; we are just doing Step 1 again. You do not have to choose materials to define the problem. We will look more specifically at materials in Step 3.

Write a few sentences that identify the problem. We must design a cost efficient vessel (both for material and size) to hold an egg, where the egg will survive a fall from a specified height.

The egg and vessel represent dropping supplies to refugees.


Now that the problem is defined, move to the next step in the engineering design process. You must research the problem. In order to create a successful design you must research the factors that influence the success or failure of the design. As a class, you will explore some fundamental concepts that affect the design of your vessels.

List three things you learned from the article(s) that impact/relate to your vessels.

1.

2.

3.


SECTION 5: RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM

Read the article from your teacher on energy. Write down what you learn from the article and then share with the class. Reading articles to help understand the way things work is commonly done in engineering and science. It is one of the main ways to research a problem.

Topic: Energy

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Teacher Notes:

Learn from your classmates! Use the lines provided to list information that your classmates learned from the articles that you may have missed.

1.

Let the students guide the discussion. Let them tell

you what they learned.As they provide you

with their thoughts, write them on the board. You should

2.

have an idea of where the discussion on energy

should go, but letting the students guide the

discussion will encourage class participation and

increase engagement in the research component.

3.

4.

Have you heard the phrase “energy may neither be created nor destroyed.” This is a fundamental law in physics. Do you know what the law is called? It is the law of conservation of energy. First, let’s look at what energy is. Energy is a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and is usually regarded as the capacity for doing work. Energy is represented in a unit called a joule (J) or kg x m2/s2.

That is a complex definition; let’s develop our own definition of energy.

So the law of conservation of energy is key in understanding the energy of a system. Objects at rest have energy stored in them; when they start to move, the energy is more evident. The stored energy is called potential energy, and the energy when the object is moving is called kinetic energy.

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Let’s look at more articles. List three things you learned from the article(s) that impact/relate to your vessels.

1.

2.

3.


1.

2.

3.

4.


Topic: Motion

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List three things you learned from the article(s) that impact/relate to your vessels.

1.

2.

3.


1.

2.

3.

Formally, potential energy is defined as the energy stored by an object by virtue of its position.Kinetic energy is defined as the form of energy that an object has by reason of its motion.

Looking at potential energy, we know that it depends on the object and the object’s position. The object itself has two factors within it when it comes to potential energy. First, the more intuitive factor is the object’s mass. The contents that makes up the object is a major factor in the energy the object will have.


Topic: Kinetic and Potential Energy


The second factor is gravity. But, why gravity? Gravity is a factor because it is a force that acts on all objects. Gravity pulls on objects; it is the reason objects on the Earth do not float around in the air. Through experimentation, it was found that the gravitational acceleration is 9.81 m/s2.

Therefore, when we are holding our vessels and waiting to release them to fall from our specified height, gravity is acting on the vessels. The other quantity related to potential energy is position. The position is the height that the vessel will fall from. In our case the

height is .

Now, when we multiply these quantities together we get the potential energy (P.E.)!

P.E. = mass x gravity x height

Or more simply stated with “m” representing mass, “g” representing gravity, and “h” representing height.

P.E. = m x g x h

Notice when these values are multiplied together, you get a Joule (kg x m2/s2) which are the units for energy.

At what point during our project can we calculate the potential energy?

Once the object starts moving (in our case, when the vessel is dropped), the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of an object due to motion. You have to take into account motion. Motion is quantified by speed, but when there is a direction associated with that motion (like in our egg drops) the scientific term is velocity. Velocity is simply the distance the object travels during a given time in a certain direction.

So, what is the distance our vessels will travel?

How do we get the time the vessels travel that distance?


WHAT IS GRAVITY?Gravity is a fundamental, physical force

that is responsible for interactions which occur because of mass between

particles.

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After we time the vessels falling, we will be able to calculate the average velocity of the vessels. What does average velocity mean? Average velocity is simply the distance the object traveled over the time. In contrast, instantaneous velocity would tell you the exact velocity the object traveled at a specific instance in time. For our project, we will only look at the average velocity. The expression for average velocity is, with “v” representing velocity:

v = (distance traveled) / (time to travel distance)

Kinetic energy involves mass and velocity, but what is the equation that we should use to calculate kinetic energy? The expression for kinetic energy is not as straight forward as potential energy. Through various experiments and tests, scientists and engineers have determined the following expression represents kinetic energy, where “K.E.” is used to represent kinetic energy.

K.E. = ½ x mass x velocity x velocity

In the experiments it was found that the velocity must be squared and multiplied by ½ in order to calculate the kinetic energy properly. Typically, kinetic energy is written more concisely with “v” representing velocity and “m” representing mass.

K.E. = ½ x m x v2

When will we have all the information needed to calculate kinetic energy?

When can we find mass?

When can we determine velocity?

So we start with potential energy which is converted to kinetic energy. Do you think all

the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy? Why?

The law of conservation of energy states that energy may neither be created nor destroyed. If all of the potential energy is not converted to kinetic energy, what happens then to energy?

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After we finish testing our vessels, how do you think we can calculate the energy that was once potential energy but was not converted to kinetic energy due to drag (air resistance)?

If the law of conservation of energy states that energy may neither be created nor destroyed, then the potential energy must be equal to the kinetic energy plus any other energy dissipated by the system (e.g., drag).

potential energy = kinetic energy + drag

Therefore, we can find drag by rearranging the equation to be:

drag = potential energy – kinetic energy

How do you think drag influences the survival of the egg?

Do you think a vessel with a parachute will have more or less drag?

Do you think it is necessary to have a lot of drag in order for the egg to survive, why or

why not?


WHAT IS DRAG?Drag is the retarding force acting on a body (as an airplane) moving through a

fluid (as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion.

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Do you know what antivirus software is or what it means to have

antivirus software?Antivirus software is a program that scans

and monitors your personal computer for

malicious programs that are meant to do

harm to your computer’s information. Viruses can

be programmed to do a number of different things

from stealing passwords, location or financial

The research today is left up to you. For an upcoming assignment, you will need to look into dropping supplies to refugees. Read about actual events where the United States, the United Nations, or other organizations dropped supplies into other countries. Read about that country, why the refugees were there, how the supplies were dropped, and so on. You can find that assignment on page 47.

You might be considering purchasing materials to build parachutes on your vessels. Using this time to research parachutes could be very useful. Understanding how parachutes work and what the key design features are might help you optimize your design.

You may want to also use this time to research methods of reducing impact. It may be helpful to think about crash tests for vehicles. What are the features that help to distribute the force

so the egg inside your vessel is not affected?

information, or even take control of or disable

certain programs or systems. Viruses are verydangerous and intrusive.

You must be smart and protect your computer.

Having a quality antivirus program installed is like

having a well-built vessel for your egg drop in that it will help to keep sensitive

information protected.

Read the articles and discuss good habits for

protecting your computerfrom viruses.

Use the next few pages to take notes about your sources.

https://www. stopthinkconnect.org/

https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ facts/online-privacy/ protect-your-computer

https://www.techopedia. com/definition/5416/antivirus-software


Research


Use the space below to help summarize the articles you read. Remember, be smart about your sources; scholarly journals and websites that end in “.edu”, “.gov”, or sometimes “.org” are usually reliable. For the research about the refugees, you may need to find news articles or use news sites that are reputable.

Topic:

Source:

Summary:

Topic:

Source:

Summary:


Article 1

Article 2

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Topic:

Source:

Summary:

Topic:

Source:

Summary:


Article 3

Article 4


Topic:

Source:

Summary:


Article 5

Additional Notes

BRAINSTORMINGBrainstorming is a problem-solving

technique that involves the spontaneous contribution of ideas from all members

of the group.

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Now that you have researched the problem and explored the various factors that affect the design of your vessel, it is time to brainstorm possible solutions.

Why do you think these rules are important? Pick one of the rules for brainstorming and

write why you think it is important.

It is time to practice brainstorming! As a class, think of possible ways you can help keep

the environment safe and healthy. Take minutes to write your ideas in the space below.

Then everyone will share their ideas with the class.

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SECTION 6: BRAINSTORMING SOLUTIONS

What is brainstorming? Does that mean there is a thunderstorm inside your brain?! NO! Brainstorming is a technique that engineers and others use to develop a list of possible solutions to a problem.

RULES FOR BRAINSTORMING:

• No idea is a bad idea

• Do not criticize each other’s ideas

• Build on each other’s ideas

• Be creative


Before we start brainstorming vessel ideas, let’s reflect on our previous vessel design. Some of your vessels performed great, but might have been over budget. If your vessel was under budget, you might still be able to cut costs. Each design group should use the cost breakdown for materials and dimensions and estimate how much they would have spent creating their first vessel.

List of Materials Used:

Dimension of Vessel:

Cost of Materials:

Cost of Dimension of Vessel:

Total cost of initial vessel design:

Let’s begin brainstorming ideas for the new vessel design. Remember, no idea is a bad idea, do not criticize each other’s ideas, try to build on each other’s ideas, and be creative! Ideas can be an improved version of your first design vessel or completely new designs. Use the next few pages to help formulate ideas. Remember, each design must cost less than $100.

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Brainstorming Vessel Ideas

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Materials and their price:

Total cost for materials:

Dimensions of vessels and cost:

Total cost of design:

Description of design:

How does this design reflect the research conducted in Step 2?

On the next page, sketch your design. Use the gridlines on the engineering paper to help form the drawing.


Brainstorm Idea 1


Design 1

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Brainstorm Idea 2


Design 2

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Brainstorm Idea 3


Design 3

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Brainstorm Idea 4


Design 4

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Brainstorm Idea 5


Design 5

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Each design team should now have brainstormed at least five ideas. It is time to choose the actual design solution.

How do you begin to choose the final design solution? You need to look over the brainstormed ideas and determine the best one, keeping in mind the best idea might be a combination of your brainstormed ideas.

First, look back at your brainstormed ideas. Choose your top three that you feel will provide the best vessel. Remember the research in Step 2 to help you choose the top three.

Top three brainstorm ideas:

Each team will weigh the pros and cons of their top three ideas. Look at each one individually and list the features that are positive and the features that are negative. This process will help in determining the best design.

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SECTION 7: CHOOSING A SOLUTION

WHAT ARE PROS AND CONS?Pros are the positive (good) features. Cons are the negative (bad)

features.


Pros: Cons:List the strengths of this design. List the weaknesses of this design.

How does this design incorporate (include) the research in Step 2?

How does this design neglect (not include) the research in Step 2?

Do you think the egg will survive in this vessel?

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Brainstorm Idea #

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Brainstorm Idea #






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Brainstorm Idea #

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It is time to decide which design will be the final vessel used in the experiment. Look at the pros and cons of your top three design ideas.

Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each design. Is there possibly a combination of the designs that provides a better vessel?







How has your design changed throughout the brainstorming process?



Choose Your Design


Engineering Paper

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It is time to start building our prototypes! Remember a prototype is the initial full-scale design created or constructed to serve a functional purpose.

As you are building your prototype over the next day(s) you might want to revisit some of the earlier steps in the design process. You may need to go back to the brainstorming phase and develop a new design idea. That is okay. The next few pages in this workbook are left open for you to sketch, make notes, and document the process of creating and developing your vessel prototype.


SECTION CREATING & DEVELOPINGA PROTOTYPE

Notes

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Engineering Paper


Thinking Space

Additional Notes

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Take a break from the engineering design process and do some creative writing. We know the context for the egg drop is that we are dropping supplies to refugees.

In our research we found instances where the United States dropped supplies to refugees. Imagine you are the pilot dropping the supplies to the refugees. Describe how you feel when you drop the supplies, how the people react to getting the supplies, and how your vessel design got the supplies to the people. Describe your vessel at full scale with supplies inside

of it instead of the egg. Also, include factual details from the research we did in Step 2. Describe who the refugees are, how the supplies were dropped to them, what supplies were dropped, and who dropped them (United States, United Nations, humane group, etc.). Keep in mind you might have to go back to Step 2 and do a little more research on the topic.

SECTION 9: CREATIVE ELEMENT

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EVALUATE THE


It is almost time to test and evaluate your prototype vessels. Before you test the vessels, you can determine the kinetic and potential energy.

We need to measure each vessel’s mass. Place your vessel, including the egg, on the scale and write down its mass. Remember, measure the mass of your vessel in kilograms.

What is the mass of your vessel without the egg? Be sure to take the plastic egg out of the vessel when you measure the vessel’s mass if you are not planning to keep the plastic

egg in the vessel during the drop.

What is the mass of the egg?

What is the mass of the vessel with the egg?

The units of energy are Joules (J). A Joule breaks down to be a kg x m2/s2, however, our mass is in grams. We need to convert the mass of our vessel and egg into kilograms. Use the space below to convert the mass of your egg from grams to kilograms.

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SECTION 10: GETTING READY TO TEST

Mass of vessel with egg in kilograms =

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Height of fall in meters:

We can now calculate the potential energy of our vessels! Remember, the unit for energy is a Joule (J). Use the box below to calculate.

Can we calculate kinetic energy? No, we need to find the average velocity that the vessels will fall at to calculate kinetic energy. This will require us to calculate the time it takes the vessels to fall the specified height. We will also need to know the vessel’s mass and the height at which it falls to calculate the kinetic energy, so keep those values from earlier in mind!


P.E. =


Presentations

Each group must present their vessel to the class. Take a few minutes to plan your presentation. Each presentation will last approximately three to five minutes.

Use the reasons from Step 4: Brainstorm Solutions and any adjustments made

in Step 5: Choose a Solution to describe your design.

How much did your vessel design cost?

Explain to the class why you chose the design, including how it incorporates the

information from Step 2: Research the Problem.

Discuss the country your supplies are being dropped to and include information from your

creative writing assignment.

Describe what you feel is the weakest part of the design.

What is the potential energy of your vessel?


THE

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It is time to test the vessels! Remember, the design process is never finished! There is always room for improvements to your design. For example, developers are quickly releasing multiple cell phone versions each year because they are constantly learning how to better the designs. Hence, evaluating the performance of your vessel is crucial.

During the testing, be sure to pay close attention to what happens as the vessels are dropped and make contact with the ground. Use the questions below to record what you observe during the testing of your vessel. This will help you think about how to improve and redesign your vessels to perform even better!

What height was the vessel dropped?

How long did it take your vessel to fall?

What is the direction your vessel is falling?

What was your vessel’s average velocity? Remember velocity has units of distance per time (in SI meters per second of m/s) along with directions. Calculate your answer in the space below.

v = (distance traveled) / (time to travel distance)


SECTION 11: TESTING &

EVALUATING

Velocity =


What was the kinetic energy of your vessel as it fell to the ground? Remember the unit for energy is a Joule (J).

K.E. = ½ x m x v2

Now that we have the kinetic energy, we can calculate the drag. Remember, the law of conservation of energy states energy may not be created nor destroyed.

In the situation where the kinetic energy does not equal potential energy, what happens to

the “missing” energy?

In that case we know, potential energy = kinetic energy + drag. Therefore, we can find drag by rearranging the equation to be: drag = potential energy – kinetic energy. Calculate the energy lost due to drag in the space below.


K.E. =

Drag =

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Did your egg survive the fall?

If your egg survived, how did your vessel design keep the egg from cracking?

If your egg cracked, what part of the vessel failed?



It is important to take some time to reflect on the project. Looking at what happened during the testing and evaluation phase will help in improving and redesigning the vessels and understanding the concepts showcased throughout the project. Each group will share their thoughts on the project with the class.

First, did your egg survive?

How much did your vessel cost?

Let’s look at the kinetic and potential energy we calculated.

P.E. = K.E. = Drag =

Did drag affect the survival of the egg in your vessel?

Did vessels with parachutes have a higher or lower amount of energy lost due to drag?

Do you think a higher drag value is better than a lower drag value in terms of the egg

surviving?


SECTION 12: IMPROVING & REDESIGNING

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If your egg did not survive, why do you think it cracked?

If your egg survived, why do you think it did not crack?

What are two things you would change/improve on your vessel design even if your egg survived?

1.

2.

How did the engineering design process help in designing your vessel?


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