Transcript Can you land on Mars? 30 min Activity and Discussion

Can you land on Mars?
Truss/Parachute Activity
Part 1 – Building Your Structure
• Goals:
–
Learn about stability and different kinds of
forces
• Materials:
7 Straws
14 Paper Clips
Part 1 – Building Your Structure
• Build a triangle and a square out of the materials by
linking two paper clips and inserting them into the
straws
• Which one do you think will be more stable? Why?
• TEST IT!
- What Happens?
Does it twist, bend, or collapse?
- Compare the Triangle and the Square. Which was more
stable? What made it more stable?
Now, given two more straws and four more paperclips,
how can you improve the stability of the square?
The Big Idea
Two kinds of forces:
Tension and Compression
Compression: Think of it as “Squishing,”
like pushing on a wall
Tension: Think of it as “Stretching,”
like a string being pulled.
Stability of our straw structures depends on the
balance between straws that are in tension and
ones that are in compression
When members are arranged like this they are called trusses.
Can you name a type of truss you’ve seen in your everyday life?
Trusses in Everyday Life
Bicycles
Houses and Roofs
Eiffel Tower
Bridges
Part 2 - Landing on Mars:
Attach your parachute, drop your structure…
How can you make your
structure fly better?
Mars
Now, lets see how NASA
landed on Mars:
What did they do?
How do you become
an Engineer?
If engineering sounds interesting,
what can you do to prepare yourself?
Expectations in School
• Math – Take it every
year!
• Science - Chemistry,
Physics, Biology
• Extra Curricular
Activities – Sports,
Dancing, Music, Clubs
• Go to College!
Resources
Links to cool engineering sites can be
found on our webpage:
www.uwwi.org
Check it out for more information
about engineering, the different
types, schools, camps and a lot more!
Do you have any Questions?
Thank you for participating!!
Feel free to email either Michelle or
Colleen with any questions you might have:
Colleen - [email protected]
Michelle – [email protected]