Curious Magnetics Blog

I was absent that day but I would have been building a Gauss Rifle using the energy of the magnets. Then we were to construct pendulum engine, then we were to create a maglev vehicle. I think it is important to learn about magnets because they will be very useful in space. They have energy when there is more than one of them and they are something you can bring with you. They are very useful things to have.

Impact Craters Lab

In this blog we are supposed to measure craters from the same ball in flour form different heights. We measured a 7.7kg ball from 12" (.3048 meters), 8" (.2032 meters), and 5" (.127 meters). All the craters were one inch in diameter. The average 12" crater was 8/16th of an inch deep. The average 8" crater was 4/16th of an inch deep. The average 5" crater was 3/16th of an inch deep.

Twelve inches: GPE= 23 J. V= 2.444 m/s
Eight inches: GPE= 15.333 J. V= 1.995 m/s
Five inches: GPE= 9.5835 J. V= 1.577 m/s

I realized that the higher velocity it has when it hits the flower the larger the crater will be. You get a higher velocity by dropping it from higher up or dropping a more massive crater. The higher Gravitation Potential Energy an object has the larger the crater (again this is connected to how high up you drop it from and how massive the object is).

Heat Shield Labs

In this lab we were supposed to make a heat shield (out of foil, metal mesh, one nut, and one washer) to protect our rocket ship (a screw glued on to a wooden dowel). Then we put it to the test with a propane torch and timed how long it lasted until the glue melted and the rocket fell.

My first attempt lasted for 15 seconds. We realized that it would last longer if there was air between the heat shield and the tip of the screw (also if there wasn't any exposed rocket). My second attempt lasted for 50 seconds and then my heat shield fell apart (it was sown together). If I had more time I would want to try making a heat shield using other things to keep it together, that was my main issues, keeping it on!

I think this is important because during Mission to Mars we are going to have to launch and take off and it would be bad if our rocket blew up in the process. I want to experiment with other materials like ceramics that don't conduct heat.

Math Graph

Mini Culmination (this is equvilant to two blogs)

My role in the team is mostly to help who ever needs it. I have been working a lot with programming the robot but have been struggling with bugs in the actual Lego robot. I have the basic idea for the program though. I recently learned how to use Skype, a communication tool. I recruited some of my team members to help me because I had never used it before.
I learned that I have a visit day on Friday so I am brainstorming ways to help my team while I am not there. My position is supposed to be Mars base, the person who communicates with everyone else and orders the pieces they need to build or fix what they need to. I hope I will be able to help even though I won't be there.

Things we need to get done this week includes trouble shooting the Lego robot to make it run straight again, get a definite program to be used on Friday, create the basket for the robot, and help all the other team members who need help. I think we should start this week off with a group check in and a group brain storm to help me think about what I can do since I can't be there on Friday (I think I will also check in with MM more about this).

Universal Law of Gravity Commercial

Robotix Lab 5

Today I did an lab called Robotix. Our task was to create a robot that could pick up space rocks on Mars, store at least two rock samples, and move to collect the rocks. It had to have a way of picking up the rocks and it had to have a way to move. We were giving seemingly endless amounts of robotics tools like wheels, motors, connectors, and wires to power the motors.

We built a large robot that had five motors. One controlled the arm that picked up things (this motor was separate from the others). The other four motors were attached to the four wheels and plugged into the largest battery charge, they were controlled two at a time (the two on the left, and the two on the right). It was hard to control and took practice but it was very effective. We had a few trials, we started out by picking up small robotics pieces that were close to the starting position. As we gained confidence in how well we could control it we tried larger objects. The hardest trial we did we maneuvered around a few objects (by turning, or picking them up and moving them) then we got ourselves into the perfect position to get a large blue ball that was nearly too big to be picked up, but we got it!

I think this is important because we may need it for our Robotics mini Culmination and I am sure we will need it for Mission to Mars. I think it would be cool to try this same lab if we had harder standards. Like we had to use a certain piece, go a certain speed, pick up something that is this big. I think that lab would be harder and would challenge us to be more creative because in this lab we had a lot of creative power.