The Radical Verminator
Regina Vermina Radical Velocity Rolling Vehicle for Recreating Vermin
About This Project
For this project, we were given the task of building a car that was both fast and safe for recreating vermin (gummy worms). We tested the car by releasing it from different heights off of a ramp (0, 30, 60, 80 cm).
How It Works
The first step in assembling this car was to put the wheels together. Measured the dowels in relation to our box and cut them. Then we glued the wheel adapter to the CD. Next, we attached the bearings to the side of the box, put the axle through and glued the axle to the wheels. When that was done, we decided to add weight to the inside of the car (757 g of rocks) to increase the speed. After, we made our seat belts for our vermin and decorated the car. The only thing left to do is test it!
Materials
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Cardboard box- body
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4 CD's- wheels
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2 dowels-axles
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Hot glue
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4 squares of heavy cardboard with a centered hole- bearings
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4 squares of wood with a centered hole- wheel adapter
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Gummy worms- passengers
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Garden sheers or other strong cutting tool
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Materials to decorate
The Science Behind The Car
Inertia is the tendency for an object to keep moving unless acted on by an unbalanced force. The seat belts for our passengers act as an unbalanced force. When the car crashed into the wall, the worms did not continue to keep moving because the seat belts (an unbalanced force) stopped them and they did not continue to move forward.
Where Did The Energy Go?
Energy comes in many forms whether light, sound or motion. Energy transfer refers to the process in which energy moves from one source to another. Let's look at the transfer of energy that it took to move the car. The sun gives plants the energy that they need to grow. The plants are then fed to the chicken and give it the nutrients that it needs to grow. Eventually the chicken is the energy that gives me the ability to hold and release the car at the top of the ramp. The type of energy that the car has at the top of the ramp is called gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is the capacity that an object has to do work with the force of gravity working on it. When the car begins to move, the gravitational potential energy turns into kinetic energy- the energy that an object possesses when it is in motion. During the car's movement, energy is released in heat and sound.
Essential Standards
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K.P.1.1. - Compare the relative position of various objects observed in the classroom and outside using position words such as: in front of, behind, between, on top of, under, above, below and beside.
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K.P.1.2. - Give examples of different ways objects and organisms move (to include falling to the ground when dropped ): Straight, Zigzag, Round and round, Back and forth, Fast and slow
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1.P.1.1- Explain the importance of a push or pull to changing the motion of an object.
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1.P.1.3- Predict the effect of a given force on the motion of an object, including balanced forces.
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3.P.1.1 Infer changes in speed or direction resulting from forces acting on an object.
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3.P.1.2 Compare the relative speeds (faster or slower) of objects that travel the same distance in different amounts of time.
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3.P.1.3 Explain the effects of earth’s gravity on the motion of any object on or near the earth.
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5.P.1.1 Explain how factors such as gravity, friction, and change in mass affect the motion of objects.
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5.P.1.2 Infer the motion of objects in terms of how far they travel in a certain amount of time and the direction in which they travel.
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5.P.1.3 Illustrate the motion of an object using a graph to show a change in position over a period of time.
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5.P.1.4 Predict the effect of a given force or a change in mass on the motion of an object
Integration of Mathematics
This lesson incorporates various math skills, including:
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addition, division and subtraction
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measurement
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use of unit systems
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rounding and estimation
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gathering, interpretation and graphing of data