Fire Away Proof of Efficacy Document
Move It- Hybrid Car
Basic OverviewIn our modern world, the words "alternative energy" have become a hot topic, sparking numerous conversations and setting off a plethora of ideas. This relatively new area of science and engineering that has perplexed many, yet it has the ability to help a great deal of people in the future. The vibrant industry that has sprouted out of this interesting concept is constantly in need of different ideas on how to harness alternative energy in a safe and efficient way, thus making it more important than ever for our current generation to brainstorm as many plans and designs as possible.
Most recently, our STEM class decided to find ways to solve this vexing dilemma in the best way we possibly could, by utilizing the engineering design cycle and thinking outside of the box. Our class was divided into multiple groups of three to four, and over the duration of two weeks, each group designed and built a scale model of an alternative energy vehicle. Certain parameters were set for the projects, including that each vehicle had to carry a cargo of 100 pennies as close as possible to 5 meters. Each group approached this problem differently, and eventually analyzed the physics behind each aspect of their singular vehicle. After the construction of the vehicle itself, each group put together a sales pitch that detailed why their vehicle was the best, based on the science, aesthetics, and overall efficiency of the vehicle. My group personally consisted of Christa Tsao, Cooper Hochman, and I. The vehicle we created was called the "Kimchi Karriage XLE", and was in essence a zipline with a spacious gondola cabin. Our vehicle was consistently able to travel 5 meters, and was very fast, efficient, and safe. We initially started the construction of our vehicle by blueprinting our design, and doing research on current forms of alternative energy transportation. Afterwards were started building the frame of our zipline. We then proceeded to build the cabin of our vehicle, and tested multiple cables to see which one was the most compatible with our vehicle. When the construction was finished on our vehicle, our group started calculating some statistical specifications, including velocity of the vehicle and energy of the vehicle. We then used all the data we found to compile all of our information into a slideshow presentation that we could show to the class, making sure to make it interesting and informative. |
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Physics Concepts UsedDistance vs. Time: For our vehicle, distance vs. time can be seen as when more time passes, the car travels more of the five meter distance that it must cover. A graph of this trend can be seen in our slideshow below. Since our vehicle accelerates on the cable, as time passes, less time is required to cover the distance. In order to find this, our group timed video to of the vehicle moving every half meter to show distance and time.
Kinetic Energy: Kinetic energy is defined as the energy of an object due to motion. The equation for kinetic energy is KE = 1/2 m v^2. The unit of measurement for kinetic energy is Joules. In our project, our vehicle utilized kinetic energy when going down the cable, ans a percentage of the potential energy it had was converted into kinetic energy, thus sending it into motion. In order to find all pieces of information needed to measure the kinetic energy of the vehicle as it went down the cable, we took video and timed the motion of the Kimchi Karriage, and found the mass by individually weighing each piece of our vehicle. We plugged these number into the formula to find our kinetic energies. Velocity: Velocity is defined as the rate of covered distance in a certain direction. The equation for velocity is v=d/t. The unit of measurement for velocity is meters per second. In our project, since our vehicle was moving forwards on a downward slope, the velocity of it was constantly changing over time. To show this change, our group took a video of our vehicle in motion, and timed how fast the vehicle moved every half meter. Because we were measuring in half meters, and we had the time that our vehicles took to travel that distance, we were able to calculate the changing velocity of the vehicle at each half meter mark. The velocity of the vehicle constantly got higher since the vehicle accelerated, until the vehicle came to an abrupt stop at the end of the cable. Spring Potential Energy: The potential energy of a spring is the energy stored by stretching or compressing an elastic object. Although our vehicle did not use any spring to move, we did not utilize spring potential energy. That being said, spring potential energy was a very important concept we learned throughout the duration of the project. Gravitational Potential Energy: Gravitational potential energy is is defined as the energy an object has due to its position at a height or in a gravitational field. The equation for gravitational potential energy is PE=mgh. The unit of measurement for gravitational potential energy is Joules. Because our vehicle traveled down an incline on the cable, gravitational potential energy was highly utilized by the vehicle as it traveled to it’s five meter destination. To measure the gravitational potential energy at the different spots on the incline, our group measured the height of the cable at each half meter mark, and multiplied the heights by the mass of the vehicle and the acceleration due to gravity (9.8m/s^2) Thermal Energy: Thermal energy is defined as the energy in a system converted to heat. This can be found by subtracting the potential and kinetic energy from an object from its total energy. The unit of measurement for thermal energy is Joules. In every aspect of real world physics, some percentage of energy is lost to heat, and not all energy is ever converted. However, it is important to note that while not all energy is converted to kinetic, the remaining energy is converted to thermal, due to the law of conservation of energy. To find thermal energy within our vehicle, we subtracted the kinetic and potential energy from each half meter from the total energy of the vehicle. Friction: Friction is defined as the force opposing the direction of motion due to roughness of the molecular level. Our vehicle utilized friction to both move and stop. For example, the friction between the cable and the pulley on our vehicle allowed the wheels to grip onto the cable, enabling it to move forward. In addition to this, friction was present between the axle and wheel of the pulley, causing it to slow down, and the bottom of the vehicle scraped the floor upon stopping, also causing it to slow down. |
Reflection
While the main intent of both the Fire Away and Hybrid Car were both intended to teach the physics of objects in motion, I absorbed so much more, different, and important information through the duration of the project. During this project I learned many different, important aspects of group work that can be applied to all parts of my daily life in and outside of school. First and foremost, I kept on learning new, different and effective leadership skills while working on both projects. For example, i was able to successfully find ways to get each group member equally engaged with the project, as well as happy with the final product. I made sure that all ideas were heard within the group, and encouraged the creation of compromises when there were disagreements. I also always made sure to find an interesting and valuable job for each group member, which I felt was a very critical part of the project. I am a strong believer that when members of a group are tasked with undertaking major part of a project, they are more likely to feel satisfied and happy with the final product at the end. This skill of being a leader and delegating can be seen throughout the project, as I involved each group member in the process of creating the vehicle slideshow, constructing the catapult and zipline, and calculating each technical specification of the two projects.
On top of this leadership skill, I successfully learned that often times the most simple solutions to a problem are the most efficient. As a person, I can tend to overblow and over complicate things, a lot of times causing the problem to balloon into something much more sophisticated and highly problematic. From this project, each construction I helped build was rather simple, however, in my opinion, both solutions worked consistently and efficiently. Both solutions were not at all super fancy and complex, which is very different from what me group is use to. My group generally associated complicated and extravagant with well functioning and efficient. However, through this project, we discovered quite the opposite, and that this thinking can be applied to situations in everyday life.
While I believe I did many things well throughout the projects, there are definitely things I believe I can work on. First and foremost, I believe that it is important for me to learn how to manage my time better in the future. Most especially on the Fire Away project, our group lost track of time constructing our catapult itself, yet neglected the amount of time that we would need to calculate the technical specifications of the project. This left us scrambling to calculate later on, sometimes leading us to make errors within our math that could have potentially reflected on the quality of the work of our Proof of Efficacy Documents. To solve this problem in the future, I will write a detailed plan of how I will spend my time throughout the project.
In addition to time management, I believe that I need to work on sharing the airspace during presenting. When presenting during the hybrid car project, I inadvertently kept talking during the presentation, thus stifling the amount of time my group members had to speak as well. To solve this in the future, I will try to physically step back during presentations in order to resist the urge to over speak.
On top of this leadership skill, I successfully learned that often times the most simple solutions to a problem are the most efficient. As a person, I can tend to overblow and over complicate things, a lot of times causing the problem to balloon into something much more sophisticated and highly problematic. From this project, each construction I helped build was rather simple, however, in my opinion, both solutions worked consistently and efficiently. Both solutions were not at all super fancy and complex, which is very different from what me group is use to. My group generally associated complicated and extravagant with well functioning and efficient. However, through this project, we discovered quite the opposite, and that this thinking can be applied to situations in everyday life.
While I believe I did many things well throughout the projects, there are definitely things I believe I can work on. First and foremost, I believe that it is important for me to learn how to manage my time better in the future. Most especially on the Fire Away project, our group lost track of time constructing our catapult itself, yet neglected the amount of time that we would need to calculate the technical specifications of the project. This left us scrambling to calculate later on, sometimes leading us to make errors within our math that could have potentially reflected on the quality of the work of our Proof of Efficacy Documents. To solve this problem in the future, I will write a detailed plan of how I will spend my time throughout the project.
In addition to time management, I believe that I need to work on sharing the airspace during presenting. When presenting during the hybrid car project, I inadvertently kept talking during the presentation, thus stifling the amount of time my group members had to speak as well. To solve this in the future, I will try to physically step back during presentations in order to resist the urge to over speak.