Rolling Vehicles
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Prompt
Regina Vermina Radical Velocity Rolling Vehicle for Recreating Vermin
Regina Vermina needs help to design a rolling vehicle for vermin, or worms, to use recreationally. Because worms usually move quite slow, they want to go really really fast on their vacation days. The cars will be made from recycled materials, and the test passengers are gummy worms. The vehicles should move fast, while still being safe.
Plan
The first step is to create a plan. Measure the box, determine how long the axles should be, plan out the wheel placement, and brainstorm possible design functions, like seatbelts or bumpers.
We chose to put our wheels equal distance from the center from each other, at the 9cm and 30cm marks. we determined the axles should be 20cm each, to leave room for wheel adapters and other parts.
Materials
CD x4 (wheels)
Wooden dowel (axl)
Cardboard box (body)
-(cereal, soda, cracker boxes work well)
Wheel adapter
-cut aprox. 2"x 2" wood square
-punch hole the(same diameter as dowel)
Axl Holder
-cut aprox. 2"x 2" cardboard square
-punch hole slightly larger than dowel
Gummy Worms (Passengers)
Assembly
1. Glue one wheel adapter onto each wheel,(line up the holes so the dowel can poke through)
2.Attach axl holders to cardboard box according to previously created plan and measurements. (Make sure holes align so axles are not crooked!)
3. Cut dowel to desired axl Length, and thread through the axl holders
4. Slide the wheels onto the axles and use glue to set in place
Science of Energy and Motion
When the car is lifted to the top of the ramp, it has potential energy. When we let go, and it begins rolling, it has kinetic energy. Friction acts as an opposing force, which eventually slows it to a stop.
The energy begins in the sun. Through the process of photosynthesis,energy is transferred to plants, like corn. When a person eats the corn,their body turns it into energy. That energy is then transferred to the car when it is used to lift the car to the top of the ramp. As the car rolls, the energy turns into heat, friction, and sound.
The cars use Solar Power!
Seatbelts provide an opposing force on the passengers when the vehicle stops. This prevents the passengers from flying out of the vehicle.
Design
We added a seating section to our vehicle, with individual cardboard seats for each passenger. we created seatbelts out of pipe cleaners to keep the worms in place in a crash. We made a large bumper out of cotton balls to absorb force and make the vehicle safer for its worm passengers. Because it was close to valentine's day, we made the car pink, and added heart shaped decorations.
A soda bottle full of coins added to the inside of the body to add some extra weight, and speed
Creating the seating space or "cockpit" out of a smaller box
Decorating the body of the car, attaching a "wind sheild" and cotton ball bumper
Testing
In order to determine the best ramp height for the vehicle, we run tests. We must standardize all outside conditions, except for the variable we are measuring(the height of the ramp)
some variables to control include: location of tests, who is releasing the car, who is measuring distance, who is holding the ramp, and how the car is released.
Test Procedure:
1. lift the ramp up and hold it still, using a meter stick to accurately determine its height
2.Line the back wheels of the car up with the top edge of the ramp
3.Release the car without pushing it
4.Measure the distance from the base of the ramp to the cars front wheels (use cm)
*conduct the test at 0cm, 25cm, 50cm, 75cm, and 100cm ramp heights
Safety/ Crash Test:
Lift the ramp to 100cm, with the bottom edge just one cars length away from a wall. Release the vehicle the same way as all of the previous test runs.
Neat way to Measure Distance:
1. Count how many steps it takes you to walk 5000 cm (50 meters).
2. Divide 5000 by that number to find your cm/step rate
3. Use this rate to measure long distances with your steps!
*use a ruler to measure additional distance, and add to your total for a more exact measurement.
Example:
It took me 63 steps to walk 50 meters.
5000/63 = 79.4
my rate is 79.4 steps/cm
(this means each one of my steps is equal to 79.4 cm)
If I measure that the car rolled 10 steps, and 5 extra cm away, I would calculate
79.4 x 10 = 793.7
793.7 + 5
The car rolled 798.7 cm
Data Analysis
0 cm
25cm
50cm
75cm
100cm
0cm
651cm
1116 cm
1116cm
239 cm
Ramp Height
Distance
Questions to Consider:
1) Which ramp height worked the best?
In our tests, both the 50cm and the 75 cm ramp produced the same result.
on both tests, the car rolled 1116cm, which was the furthest distance of all the tests.The goal was to make the worms travel fast and far, so the 50cm and 75 cm ramps were the best.
2) Why didn't the 100cm ramp make the car go the farthest distance?
The 100cm ramp was so steep that the face of the car hit the ground, causing it to transfer energy elsewhere, and slow down.
K-6 Science Curriculum
First Grade: 1.P.1.3 Predict the effect of a given force on the motion of an object, including balanced forces.
Third Grade: 3.P.1.3 Explain the effect of earth’s gravity on the motion of any object on or near the earth.
Fifth Grade: 5.P.1.1 Explain how factors such as gravity, friction, and change in mass affect the motion of objects.
This activity covers several motion and force science curriculum standards and can be modified to work for any grade.