1. Describe how you contributed to your team, what did you do, were their any major contributions you are especially proud of?
I was the scienst this time, so basically I contributed the concept of how to make the base of our prototype. I think that one thing I am especially proud of is that I came up with the idea of the base, and it saved our materials.
2. Did your team apply the EDP successfully? (i.e. did you identify the problem & constraints, brainstorm solutions, test and prototype a solution, refine the design).
I think our group applied the EDP successfully. Especially we identified the problem that the shooting part should be like what at first, so for the rest of our time we are basically doing constructing and testing job.
3. What changes did your team make to your design?
At first we tried to use the elasticity of the wooden stick itself to support the shooting process, then we realized that it would not be flexiable enough to shoot the little paper filler very far, so we changed our initial plan a little bit and used the rubber band instead for it has more ductility.
4. what worked well in your design? Identify what did not work so good.
I think what did work very good was the shooting part, since we’ve enough potential energy, which is because the wooden stick in front of the rubber band is tall enough, it actually worked very well. I would say what did not work so good was also the shooting part, because it was not accurate enough. We could have stick more to stabalize it and make it always shoot for one direction, but we didn’t have enough time to do it.
5. Describe any energy conversions/forces/motions/Newton’s laws that apply to a catapult mechanism.
We used the elastic potential energy here in our catapult mechanism, and through applying our machine, the elastic potential energy turns into the kinetic energy and helps the paper filler fly further.
I was the scienst this time, so basically I contributed the concept of how to make the base of our prototype. I think that one thing I am especially proud of is that I came up with the idea of the base, and it saved our materials.
2. Did your team apply the EDP successfully? (i.e. did you identify the problem & constraints, brainstorm solutions, test and prototype a solution, refine the design).
I think our group applied the EDP successfully. Especially we identified the problem that the shooting part should be like what at first, so for the rest of our time we are basically doing constructing and testing job.
3. What changes did your team make to your design?
At first we tried to use the elasticity of the wooden stick itself to support the shooting process, then we realized that it would not be flexiable enough to shoot the little paper filler very far, so we changed our initial plan a little bit and used the rubber band instead for it has more ductility.
4. what worked well in your design? Identify what did not work so good.
I think what did work very good was the shooting part, since we’ve enough potential energy, which is because the wooden stick in front of the rubber band is tall enough, it actually worked very well. I would say what did not work so good was also the shooting part, because it was not accurate enough. We could have stick more to stabalize it and make it always shoot for one direction, but we didn’t have enough time to do it.
5. Describe any energy conversions/forces/motions/Newton’s laws that apply to a catapult mechanism.
We used the elastic potential energy here in our catapult mechanism, and through applying our machine, the elastic potential energy turns into the kinetic energy and helps the paper filler fly further.