Regina Vermina's Design Technology Challenge

above: children in Zambia with home-made cars

 

You have been hired by Regina Vermina of the Regina Vermina Radical Velocity Company to create three recreational opportunities for recreating vermin at the

Regina Vermina's Recreating Vermin Radical Velocity Theme Park

(A.K.A RVRVRV Theme Park or (RV)3 Theme Park)

 

 

Ride 1: The Regina Vermina Recreating Vermin Radical Velocity Rolling Vehicle

This rolling vehicle must be able to safely transport a family of 3 worms (and bedding). Since worms are staunch environmentalists, they want their vehicle to be powered only by gravity. Unfortunately, since they spend their lives moving so slowly and such short distances, they are also interested in speed and distance.

Regina Vermina has instructed you to develop prototypes that use a ramp. Regina Vermina wishes to build ramps of various heights at her Regina Vermina Recreating Vermin Rolling Vehicles Theme Park, and she needs to submit data tables and graphs to the appropriate inspectors detailing the relationship between

(See more requirements under "common requirements" below.)

link to images of cars

 

Ride 2: The Regina Vermina Recreating Vermin Radical Velocity Rocketing Vessel

This rocket will be constructed of a soda bottle and will be powered by air pressure. It must be able to safely carry a family of 3 worms (and bedding). Since worms spend so much time in the ground, the excitement of this ride for worms its time aloft, and your job is to maximize the time the worms spend in the air. You are also going to try to figure out a way to make the rocket move smoothly through the air using fins and a nose cone.

Regina Vermina has instructed you to develop prototypes that use different sized bottles and different amounts of water. Once you have settled on a design, Regina Vermina wishes you to carefully test the amount of water in the rocket to determine the best amount for maximum time aloft, and she needs to submit data tables and graphs to the appropriate inspectors detailing the relationship between the amount of water and the time aloft.

The report should also include a discussion of the speed of the rocket at various points in its flight.

(See more requirements under "common requirements" below.)

link to video of rocket launching

 

Ride 3: The Regina Vermina Recreating Vermin Radical Velocity Rambling-marble Venture

This attraction at the theme park is something to entertain the worms as they wait for other rides. Regina Vermina has asked you to construct a marble maze in which a marble or ball remains in motion for a minimum of 10 seconds and a maximum of 45 seconds. The ball must include a minimum of five turns -- that is, it must make five observable changes in the direction traveled by the marble. There should be a comfortable viewing platform for the worms to observe the action.

The maze must be constructed with recyclable materials and must “fit” within a space in the park that is 1.5 meters wide by 1 meter tall. The ball must be at rest at its starting point and at its ending point.  The release of the ball should be controlled by some kind of mechanism, and, once it's released, no external force should be applied to move or stop the marble throughout its travel through the design. Upon completion of its run, the marble will remain stopped and stable within the built structure (e.g. not rolling across the floor!)

Regina Vermina has instructed you to develop prototypes of this attraction for the Regina Vermina Recreating Vermin Rolling Vehicles Theme Park, and she needs to submit data tables and graphs to the appropriate inspectors comparing the mass of each ball to

(See more requirements under "common requirements" below.)

link to images of mazes

 

Common Requirements:

 

You will begin by planning, drawing your plans, and developing a materials list. Then you will build your attraction.

After initial testing and modification, you will need to take data on the movement of your car, rocket, or ball-in-maze.

When you are done, complete a report for Regina Vermina with the following:

This report should be posted to AsULearn as a Word Document. Please attach computer spreadsheets if necessary. Hand made drawings, graphs and data tables should be photographed or scanned and inserted.

 

Link to rubric

 


 

Additional resources: