Hybrid Car Design
Background Information:
The end goal of this project was to build small prototype cars powered by alternative energy. This project was inspired by an invitation from Hondai to design and build cars that were powered with alternative energy. The cars that were built by STEM students would be presented for the STEM class. Each table group (of four) built there own car. The cars were required to travel as close to 5 meters as possible, and could not use chemical or nuclear energy as their powers source. What that ended up meaning was mostly just that you could not use batteries to power your car.
Project History:
The first thing that my team did was research exactly what an hybrid car was and what alternative energy we might be able to harness to power our car. We also worked on brainstorming ideas and designs for possible cars. When we felt that we had gathered as much information as we needed, we then shared design ideas and eventually selected one. We opted to build a car powered by a water wheel, using water and the power of gravity to turn our cars wheels.
We spent nearly all of our building time working on the water wheel system. Since we were using water to power our car's movement, we did not test the Aquar (the name of our car) inside. Instead, we conducted our tests outside. We got some bad news, the Aquar was so large and heavy that it could not get over the initial friction between the ground and wheels without a nudge. The Aquar was also unable to move very far after the initial push. We spent more of our building time dedicated to lightening our car and also making the water wheel more powerful. The last building day before our presentation we decided to used rubber bands to help power our car. As soon as we added rubber bands (which took us maybe two minutes), the Aquar was able to move beautifully, hitting nearly exactly 5 meters without any previous trial attempts, and in the process rolling over a hammer before continuing to roll forward.
While it was slightly frustrating to other members of my team that the Aquar was working better than it had ever previously with only two minutes worth of modifications, I found the entire thing both entirely funny and relieving. This was because I wanted a car that actually worked the day of our presentation. We then took measurements so that we could make our graphs, which you can view down below. The Aquar is not very fast, but it is very strong and steady. I also personally believe it looks super awesome.
The end goal of this project was to build small prototype cars powered by alternative energy. This project was inspired by an invitation from Hondai to design and build cars that were powered with alternative energy. The cars that were built by STEM students would be presented for the STEM class. Each table group (of four) built there own car. The cars were required to travel as close to 5 meters as possible, and could not use chemical or nuclear energy as their powers source. What that ended up meaning was mostly just that you could not use batteries to power your car.
Project History:
The first thing that my team did was research exactly what an hybrid car was and what alternative energy we might be able to harness to power our car. We also worked on brainstorming ideas and designs for possible cars. When we felt that we had gathered as much information as we needed, we then shared design ideas and eventually selected one. We opted to build a car powered by a water wheel, using water and the power of gravity to turn our cars wheels.
We spent nearly all of our building time working on the water wheel system. Since we were using water to power our car's movement, we did not test the Aquar (the name of our car) inside. Instead, we conducted our tests outside. We got some bad news, the Aquar was so large and heavy that it could not get over the initial friction between the ground and wheels without a nudge. The Aquar was also unable to move very far after the initial push. We spent more of our building time dedicated to lightening our car and also making the water wheel more powerful. The last building day before our presentation we decided to used rubber bands to help power our car. As soon as we added rubber bands (which took us maybe two minutes), the Aquar was able to move beautifully, hitting nearly exactly 5 meters without any previous trial attempts, and in the process rolling over a hammer before continuing to roll forward.
While it was slightly frustrating to other members of my team that the Aquar was working better than it had ever previously with only two minutes worth of modifications, I found the entire thing both entirely funny and relieving. This was because I wanted a car that actually worked the day of our presentation. We then took measurements so that we could make our graphs, which you can view down below. The Aquar is not very fast, but it is very strong and steady. I also personally believe it looks super awesome.
Vocabulary:
Energy: the ability to do work
Elastic: able to resume its normal shape spontaneously after contraction, dilatation, or distortion.
Elastic Energy: is the potential mechanical energy stored in the configuration of a material or physical system as work is performed to distort its volume or shape. Elastic energy occurs when objects are compressed and stretched.
Gravitational Energy: is potential is potential energy associated with the gravitational field.
Thermal Energy: is the energy that is generated and measured by heat.
Velocity: the speed of something in a given direction.
Potential Energy (PE) is the stored energy of an object. The "potential" an object has to do in energy. It is calculated using the formula mass X acceleration due to gravity X height the object is above the ground.
Kinetic Energy (KE) is the energy of an object in motion. Energy can only be considered kinetic if it is a measurement of the energy of a moving object. The formula to find kinetic energy is mass multiplied by velocity squared divided in half.
Work: is the measure of an energy transfer that occurs when an object is moved over a distance. The formula for work is force X distance.
Kinetic energy, Potential energy, and Work are all related to each other. They are part of a cycle. Lifting an object up a certain height requires Work, that same object now has Potential energy at that height, and as the object falls the object has Kinetic energy. In fact, all three of these measurements equal each other at certain stages of the cycle. Work equals Potential energy when the object is at its highest point. Potential energy equals Kinetic energy when the object is just about to hit the ground, make the Kinetic energy also equal to Work.
Physics Component:
To make the Distance vs. Time graph we found the distance the Aquar traveled and how long it took for the Aquar to travel per meter.
My Reflection:
Something that I think went well in doing this project would be the dividing of each member's roles. I personally had very little experience or knowledge about cars or building them. One of our members had a better understanding of these things and was our project's leader. One of our other members was very good at using the computer, and so made most of our script and presentation. Myself and another member had neither of these talents, and so we simply catered to the needs of the other members of our group, helping whoever needed something.
Some thing that did not go well would be the Aquar orignally not working. Points for creativity and all, but the Aquar would not move and it was frustrating. We eventually solved this problem by the addition of rubber bands.
My favorite moment of the project was either when we first tested the Aquar with rubber bands or when we raced the aquar against other team's cars. When we first added rubber bands to the Aquar and let it roll, the Aquar not only rolled almost perfectlly 5 meters, but the Aquar rolled OVER A HAMMER. We had forgotten to move the hammer out of the way of the Aquar, but the hammer didn't stop the Aquar from moving at all. Instead, the Aquar showed its stuff as an all terrain vehicle. Racing the cars was also a great moment for me because everybody had already presented and were in sort of giddy moods. Also, one of my team members was recording a video of the race (you can view it at the bottom of this page) and was making commentary through out the entire thing. In the video, the Aquar is the car in the middle.
The material I liked learning the most was probably how to make a bad idea sound like a good one. Of course, most students, and teenagers in general, are already pretty accustomed to this idea, but it was still interesting to present this way like a proffessional.
In doing this project, I learned that I personally work best when I have something to do constantly. If I don't have something to do for a while, I get lazy and don't want to continue working. I also learned that at least in my particular group doing this particular project that I had to really be vocal about helping out the project. I felt as though if I hadn't said anything to my members, I would have done nothing to build the car or make the presentation. I will remember these things whild doing future projects.
Energy: the ability to do work
Elastic: able to resume its normal shape spontaneously after contraction, dilatation, or distortion.
Elastic Energy: is the potential mechanical energy stored in the configuration of a material or physical system as work is performed to distort its volume or shape. Elastic energy occurs when objects are compressed and stretched.
Gravitational Energy: is potential is potential energy associated with the gravitational field.
Thermal Energy: is the energy that is generated and measured by heat.
Velocity: the speed of something in a given direction.
Potential Energy (PE) is the stored energy of an object. The "potential" an object has to do in energy. It is calculated using the formula mass X acceleration due to gravity X height the object is above the ground.
Kinetic Energy (KE) is the energy of an object in motion. Energy can only be considered kinetic if it is a measurement of the energy of a moving object. The formula to find kinetic energy is mass multiplied by velocity squared divided in half.
Work: is the measure of an energy transfer that occurs when an object is moved over a distance. The formula for work is force X distance.
Kinetic energy, Potential energy, and Work are all related to each other. They are part of a cycle. Lifting an object up a certain height requires Work, that same object now has Potential energy at that height, and as the object falls the object has Kinetic energy. In fact, all three of these measurements equal each other at certain stages of the cycle. Work equals Potential energy when the object is at its highest point. Potential energy equals Kinetic energy when the object is just about to hit the ground, make the Kinetic energy also equal to Work.
Physics Component:
To make the Distance vs. Time graph we found the distance the Aquar traveled and how long it took for the Aquar to travel per meter.
My Reflection:
Something that I think went well in doing this project would be the dividing of each member's roles. I personally had very little experience or knowledge about cars or building them. One of our members had a better understanding of these things and was our project's leader. One of our other members was very good at using the computer, and so made most of our script and presentation. Myself and another member had neither of these talents, and so we simply catered to the needs of the other members of our group, helping whoever needed something.
Some thing that did not go well would be the Aquar orignally not working. Points for creativity and all, but the Aquar would not move and it was frustrating. We eventually solved this problem by the addition of rubber bands.
My favorite moment of the project was either when we first tested the Aquar with rubber bands or when we raced the aquar against other team's cars. When we first added rubber bands to the Aquar and let it roll, the Aquar not only rolled almost perfectlly 5 meters, but the Aquar rolled OVER A HAMMER. We had forgotten to move the hammer out of the way of the Aquar, but the hammer didn't stop the Aquar from moving at all. Instead, the Aquar showed its stuff as an all terrain vehicle. Racing the cars was also a great moment for me because everybody had already presented and were in sort of giddy moods. Also, one of my team members was recording a video of the race (you can view it at the bottom of this page) and was making commentary through out the entire thing. In the video, the Aquar is the car in the middle.
The material I liked learning the most was probably how to make a bad idea sound like a good one. Of course, most students, and teenagers in general, are already pretty accustomed to this idea, but it was still interesting to present this way like a proffessional.
In doing this project, I learned that I personally work best when I have something to do constantly. If I don't have something to do for a while, I get lazy and don't want to continue working. I also learned that at least in my particular group doing this particular project that I had to really be vocal about helping out the project. I felt as though if I hadn't said anything to my members, I would have done nothing to build the car or make the presentation. I will remember these things whild doing future projects.