Marble Sorting Project

Our first idea was to use momentum to sort the 3 different marble materials from eachother (wood, glass, and metal).

• We later ditched that idea once we realized that we couldn't make a marginable difference from the moment on the length of track we could make. We then used a magnet on a track to catch the metal and a fan to blow the wood off the track.

• This is the colored glass marble sorter, it isn't operational yet but has very good stability and is consistent with the conveyor belt system.

Egg Drop Challenge - Iteration #1

Total # of Achievements Earned: 14







4) Justify (list and explain) your Achievemtns. Use images as appropriate. For organization's sake, use the categories provided in the Egg Drop Achievement List.


X = Achieved


Material Weight:
(your egg is not included in material weight)
-Your materials weigh less than 500 grams. X
-Your materials weigh less than 300 grams. X
-Your materials weigh less than 200 grams. X
-Your materials weigh less than 150 grams. X
-Your materials weigh less than 100 grams. X
-Your materials weigh less than 50 grams. X
-Your materials weigh less than 25 grams. X

My project was -9g due to the helium in the balloons

Drop Achievements

Drop Accuracy:
-You hit the butcher paper! X Hit it.
-You hit inside the third ring!
-You hit inside the second ring!
-You hit inside the first ring!
-You hit the Bullseye!

Egg Resilience:
-Your egg broke but the yolk remained intact. X
-Your egg cracked but the yolk stayed inside and intact.  X
-Your egg cracked but was still together. X
-Your egg didn't break in any way! (awarded three times) X
-Your egg didn't break in any way! (awarded three times) X
-Your egg didn't break in any way! (awarded three times) X

Egg was alive.

5) What designs from your class did well? Based on the achievements you earned,how would you redesign your solution to score better? Be specific (sketches with labeling work well for this).


I would redesign my solution so that it would be more accurate and take up less space. Heavily padded designs did very well.

TED

1) What is the TED organization about?


TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading
2) What is the purpose of their website and how does the functionality of their site support that?


The purpose of their website is to deliver videos to viewers. The layout of their website makes access to videos fast and simple and highlights the most interesting ones by size

3) As Engineers and Problem Solvers, which topic areas (the choices from the "Show talks related to:" section on the sidebar) are of most interest to us? Justify your answer.


Design to me would be the most important one for engineering, ideas for new designs can create new ones in your head and help you design solutions around ideas that have already been answered.
4) Based on your previous answer, what are 3 talks (videos) on the site that appear like they would be of most interest to you as an Engineer/Problem Solver? Justify your choices.

George Whitesides: Toward a science of simplicity

Tom Wujec: Build a tower, build a team - I think this one is the most interesting because it discusses how team bonding works when dealing with projects and how it benefits teamwork. 

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world

5) Each student will watch a unique video. Claim your video on the following period specific posts: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. If no one else has claimed your video, leave a comment on that post to call the one you want. If someone else has already claimed the talk, go back and pick another one. Watch the video. Embed the video in your blog post and create a bulletized outline of the key issues presented in the talk.

Dimitar Sasselov: How we found hundreds of potential Earth-like planets

6) How could you get involved in the field/technology/issue you chose to hear about? What experience/skills/training/education would you need to learn to get involved with this field?



Education in astronomy and engineering will help you discover earth like planets.

RoboPro: Subprograms and Meters

I used Michael photos due to my laptop's hard drive dying. 

The task was to create a program that increased variables while utilizing subprograms. The sub program contains all of the actual functions which allows the main program to stay organized. 


The main advantage of using subprograms is that subprograms can be saved when created, and can be attached and inserted in other programs easily.

RoboPro: Variables & Branch Functions

We turned a variable to a desired variable in 5 cycles. I chose to go from -5 to 0 and added 1 unit with each cycle

Machine Control: Project 3.1.7 Machine Control Design - Part IMachine Control: Activity 3.1.2 Flowcharting

• Flowcharting is like a map to plan a route for a trip, because like a car the program follows the different steps in order of how they are arranged.  
• In the morning I wake up, take a shower and eat breakfast, go to school come back from school, watch some tv or read some articles online, do homework, go to the gym or play sports come back eat dinner relax and go to sleep. 
  
  
  
  
  Wake up > School > Homework > Gym > Relax > Repeat

3.1.1 Inputs and Output

1. Examine the wire diagram on the mini switch and describe how the diagram relates to the concepts of normally open and normally closed.

• When the switch is normally closed it goes from 0 and goes to 1 when pressed.
• When the switch is normally closed it does the reverse and goes from 1 to 0 when pressed.

2. If computers only understand digital signals, then how is a computer able to interpret the analog signals coming from the interface?

• Computers can understand analog signals by converting them to digital and then back again when needed.

3. Why does resistance decrease as the NTC Resistor becomes warmer?

• The resistance decreases because the warmer it gets the easier for the current to flow because the atoms in the resistor are at a higher energy level and when atoms are at a higher energy level they more easily release their valance electrons.