Energy Resources

1. The thing that surprised me the most was the fact that energy is conserved. It can neither be created or destroy and only a percent of the energy created is actually useful to us.

2. One thing that surprised me was that natural gas accounts for 1/5 of energy production in the word. It also is 90% efficient meaning that only 10% would be considered waste, but it counts for 60% of pollution.

3. Describe and defend what you believe to be the best energy source(s) to be investing in.
I definitly believe we should be investing our time and money into using all the inexahaustable energy sources espicially solar beacuse solar panels can easily be placed on top of houses and building so everyone would be producing their own energy and there are very low bad consecuences to using this type of energy source. It won't have effects on the enviroment like those of using nuclear energy or coal powered energy.

Cardboard Canoe

13 ACHIEVEMENTS (Potentially 14 or 15)

Tape Selection

• 2'' by 60 yds =      $ 10 = 4320 in square          $1  = 432 in. square
• 1.88'' by 45 yds = $ 6 = 3045.6  in. square       $1 = 507.6 in. square

Achievements:

Design Process:

• Define the Problem: Build a canoe out of cardboard that follows the above constraints.
• Brainstorm:
1. Lightest person inside the canoe
2. Not to long(hard to maneuver)
3. Not to low on the sides (water can get inside)
4. Not to high on the sides ( too heavy)
5. Calculate buoyancy
6. Trimaran
7. Catamaran
8. Box inside so that person can sit
9. Person lay flat on canoe
10. Outside people push the canoe to make it move
11. Make Paddles
12. Bend big piece of cardboard hotdog style, cut ends in half and tape them
13. Cut big piece of cardboard in half, cut each half into trapezoid
14. Incorporate origami so it can fold into a good shape with fair structure
15. Have canoe be shape that can glide through water (not like a box shape)
16. stable side so bending is avoided
17. Use cardboard strips that span the width of the canoe to hold sides up together\
18. Have a rudder to help steer
19. Tape the whole outside of the canoe so it won't disintegrate
20. Tape should be vertically place
• Criteria & Constraints
• Criteria: Build a canoe out of cardboard on which one person stands on it for 10 seconds whilst it moves. 
• Constraints
• You may only use Cardboard and Duct Tape for this event.
• All Staples or other foreign material must be removed from your cardboard. If we trash the pool, we will not be invited back for other activities during the year (yes, we have other activities in mind for 2nd semester).
• Cardboard must meet our quality standard and be approved by the instructor (more info to follow)
• Each boat must have a minimum of a 3" tall "sidewall" (no completely flat designs).
• All exposed cardboard must be covered in duct tape (this will reduce cardboard disintegration in the pool).
• Each team will be provided one "versa table" cardboard box piece and two 60yrd rolls of duct tape. Any materials beyond this (likely need more cardboard) need to be resourced by your team.
• + Person cannot grab on to sides of the boat. Person on the boat has to make boat move not have someone push the boat
• Sketches:


• Prototype:
• Select an Approach:
• Positives: Matches the V-bottom
• Negatives: Sides open to wide when sitting inside the boat.
• Ideas: Make a seat or connect top of sides with a cross bar.
• Questions: Will it float?

Building Achievement:

• Build it!

• The Early Bird Gets The Achievement: Yes!
• V-Bottom: Yes!

Test Achievements

• Testing was a fail because we had difficulty getting in the boat first. Once it got wet it was practically destroyed. Although, we did improvise and used it as a surf board which lasted the rest of the time.

• Videographer
• To be posted later

Reflection Achievements: 

• Feedback -
• Positives: According to calculations it would have been able to support a lot of weight.
• Negatives: Not stable
• Ideas: Should have put the hulls on the sides to help stablize it.
• Questions:
• How Low Did You Go?
• The water roughly went half way up the canoe.
• Yes, it was surprising that it didn't go down to far into the water we thought it might spill in.
• What is the unit weight of water in pounds? 62.4 lb/cu. ft
• How much did your pilot weigh (roughly)? 105lbs. 
• Since our boat was roughly 24 cu. ft it should have been able to hold (62.4*24)= 1497.6 lbs. so that is plenty enough for us not to sink.
• Redesign
• 
• I'd probably build a flat bottom design because it would have increased the surface area and made it more stable for it to turn.  And maybe add wings to also prevent it from flipping.
• Make Your Own Achievement:
• "Improvisation" : although our canoe sunk, our team was able to convert it into a surfboard style design and continue competeting.

Rules of the Road

what Criteria (rules) would you add to the Mousetrap Racecar Challenge to help "level" the playing field?

• Who can build a working car faster?
• Maximum amount of pieces that can be used or maximum price
• Lightness of car in weight