U4 EDC: Egg Car Collisions

Instructions

Work through the formative with your group, each student needs their own document

Identify the Problem:
Humpty Dumpty’s teenager just got their driver’s license. Humpty has been car shopping all over the kingdom and he has
 not found a safe vehicle. Just like a chip off the old block, Lil’ Humpty has inherited his father’s fragility and
 tendency to get into full frontal collisions. The king and all his men are offering a pile of gold for a car design that can withstand a collision with the infamous castle wall (Newton’s Third Law of motion in collisions between two objects). Sample car video

Develop Criteria:
Criteria for success - egg lives unblemished
Durability: Car launches multiple times

Constraints:
Time: 3 class periods total
Materials: Hot glue, tape, 2 pieces of 8 X 11” paper, 1 unmodified egg, must have an unrestricted plastic straw “wheel hub” (wheels and axle will be provided)
Dimensions: Car cannot be wider than 6 cm including the car axle.

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Criteria: How will you address the criteria with your car design? Which needs are associated with addressing the criteria?

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Constraints: Which constraints will be the most challenging for your team based on your chosen criteria? Why?

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What testing process do new cars go through to ensure the safety of its passengers? Describe how the law of inertia informs this process.

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You will consider Newton's Laws and design your car before building it. Which of Newton's 3 Laws will have the biggest impact on the car design? Why?

Research car prototypes (click the link) and select three to evaluate. Copy and paste the picture of the three prototypes you selected in the "show your work" sections to the right and write a 1 sentence evaluation of a specific design feature. Be sure to include which criteria will be addressed by that design feature.

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Describe the first prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

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Describe the second prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

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Describe the third prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

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Draw your initial prototype, either digitally or on paper, just click on the image icon
and insert a clear photo of your design.

🛑 You can now get materials to start building after you check in with your teacher. Remember:

Materials: Hot glue, tape, 2 pieces of 8 X 11” paper, 1 unmodified egg, must have an unrestricted plastic straw “wheel hub” (wheels and axle will be provided)
Dimensions: Car cannot be wider than 6 cm including the car axle.

1

What is the name of your car?

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Use a scale to find the mass of your car in grams.

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Insert 2 pictures of your built car, from the top-down and side view.

Run three tests for your car. Calculate the average speed and kinetic energy of your car and include units. Describe modification needed for the next trial and include photo evidence after the collision.

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TEST 1
Average Speed = total distance ÷ total time = _______ 

Kinetic Energy = ½ mass * (avg. speed)2 = _______ 

Modification Needed for Next Trial: _______ 

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TEST 2
Average Speed = total distance ÷ total time = _______ 

Kinetic Energy = ½ mass * (avg. speed)2 = _______ 

Modification Needed for Next Trial: _______ 

1

TEST 3
Average Speed = total distance ÷ total time = _______ 

Kinetic Energy = ½ mass * (avg. speed)2 = _______ 

Modification Needed for Next Trial: _______ 

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Evaluation:
What design features were effective during your testing to meet your criteria? Cite specific features. What alteration or modification had the most significant change during testing? Cite specific examples.

You will confer with 3 other teams to attribute design features to each of Newton’s Laws of Motion, use the questions below to guide your conference. Go around to other teams to see the design features they selected, and write your notes regarding their prototypes below. 

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What design features address the inertia of the egg during the collision? Explain why.

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What design features address the kinetic energy in the collision between the car and the wall? Remember KE = ½ m*v2

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What design features use friction to their advantage when planning for the collision.

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Redesign:
What changes must be made to improve your car? Include specific design features (if you are using a feature from another team, cite them as your source).

Retest your final prototype three times. Calculate the average speed and kinetic energy of your car and include units. Describe the modification needed for the next trial and include photo evidence after the collision.

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RETEST 1
Average Speed = total distance ÷ total time = _______ 

Kinetic Energy = ½ mass * (avg. speed)2 = _______ 

Observations - any notes about how the design features performed? _______ 

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RETEST 2
Average Speed = total distance ÷ total time = _______ 

Kinetic Energy = ½ mass * (avg. speed)2 = _______ 

Observations - any notes about how the design features performed? _______ 

1

RETEST 3
Average Speed = total distance ÷ total time = _______ 

Kinetic Energy = ½ mass * (avg. speed)2 = _______ 

Observations - any notes about how the design features performed? _______ 

1

Insert 2 pictures of your car POST-Collision, from the top-down and side view.

Critique at least two design features as successful or needing a redesign if there were future iterations for the King. Cite your Post-Collision photo as your evidence for criteria critiqued here.

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Design Feature #1

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Criteria: How will you address the criteria with your car design? Which needs are associated with addressing the criteria?

Constraints: Which constraints will be the most challenging for your team based on your chosen criteria? Why?

Which of Newton's laws BEST describes why the crash dummy fell off the truck?

Why does the dummy keep moving after the car hits the barrier?

What determines a vehicle's crash worthiness? Check ALL that apply.

What vehicle safety features are critical to protecting people inside the vehicle? Check ALL that apply.

What testing process do new cars go through to ensure the safety of its passengers? Describe how the law of inertia informs this process.

You will consider Newton's Laws and design your car before building it. Which of Newton's 3 Laws will have the biggest impact on the car design? Why?

Describe the first prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

Describe the second prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

Describe the third prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

Draw your initial prototype, either digitally or on paper, just click on the image icon
and insert a clear photo of your design.

What is the name of your car?

Use a scale to find the mass of your car in grams.

Insert 2 pictures of your built car, from the top-down and side view.

Evaluation:
What design features were effective during your testing to meet your criteria? Cite specific features. What alteration or modification had the most significant change during testing? Cite specific examples.

What design features address the inertia of the egg during the collision? Explain why.

What design features address the kinetic energy in the collision between the car and the wall? Remember KE = ½ m*v2

What design features use friction to their advantage when planning for the collision.

Redesign:
What changes must be made to improve your car? Include specific design features (if you are using a feature from another team, cite them as your source).

Insert 2 pictures of your car POST-Collision, from the top-down and side view.

Design Feature #1

Design Feature #2

U4 EDC: Egg Car Collisions

Criteria: How will you address the criteria with your car design? Which needs are associated with addressing the criteria?

Constraints: Which constraints will be the most challenging for your team based on your chosen criteria? Why?

Which of Newton's laws BEST describes why the crash dummy fell off the truck?

Why does the dummy keep moving after the car hits the barrier?

What determines a vehicle's crash worthiness? Check ALL that apply.

What vehicle safety features are critical to protecting people inside the vehicle? Check ALL that apply.

What testing process do new cars go through to ensure the safety of its passengers? Describe how the law of inertia informs this process.

You will consider Newton's Laws and design your car before building it. Which of Newton's 3 Laws will have the biggest impact on the car design? Why?

Describe the first prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

Describe the second prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

Describe the third prototype feature and how it will address the criteria.

Draw your initial prototype, either digitally or on paper, just click on the image iconand insert a clear photo of your design.

What is the name of your car?

Use a scale to find the mass of your car in grams.

Insert 2 pictures of your built car, from the top-down and side view.

Evaluation:What design features were effective during your testing to meet your criteria? Cite specific features. What alteration or modification had the most significant change during testing? Cite specific examples.

What design features address the inertia of the egg during the collision? Explain why.

What design features address the kinetic energy in the collision between the car and the wall? Remember KE = ½ m*v2

What design features use friction to their advantage when planning for the collision.

Redesign:What changes must be made to improve your car? Include specific design features (if you are using a feature from another team, cite them as your source).

Insert 2 pictures of your car POST-Collision, from the top-down and side view.

Design Feature #1

Design Feature #2

Draw your initial prototype, either digitally or on paper, just click on the image icon
and insert a clear photo of your design.

Evaluation:
What design features were effective during your testing to meet your criteria? Cite specific features. What alteration or modification had the most significant change during testing? Cite specific examples.

Redesign:
What changes must be made to improve your car? Include specific design features (if you are using a feature from another team, cite them as your source).