Case Studies - Swanbourne Senior High School
Research Components
 
Technology Research Component
Document your research with words and drawings to cover the following points:
- Investigate traction options, eg. wheels/rollers/tracks. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each and indicate what materials you might use?
- Investigate materials and construction techniques:What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
- Motor mounting options.
- Investigate power transmission systems and how these might be applied to harness the energy from a high revving motor to a slow moving final drive.
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Science Research Component
Provide background research information relating to the following areas:
- Friction - grip, wheel width, energy loss as heat, bearings.
- Gears & pulleys - reducing the effort, increasing speed (you have a maximum 30s travel time).
- Torque - find a definition for this. Relate it to your motor.
- Power transfer - mechanical advantage / motor to drive shaft to axles to wheels / universal joint.
- Advantages and disadvantages of the traction, gearing and drive options.
- In addition you should say what information has influenced your choice of traction, gearing and drive options, and show evidence of trials and results based on sound scientific method, as practised in class.
(Include: Hypothesis, controlling variables, the experimental variable, tabulated results, and a conclusion.)
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Mathematics Research Component
Included in your design brief must be a discussion of the following mathematical concepts. They should be supported with appropriate calculations, diagrams and analysis.
- An initial Project Network outlining the anticipated activities and estimated time requirements. The minimum time and critical path should be determined. Throughout your project your network should be analysed and updated with a final Project Network produced at the end. This should also be analysed.
- A Standard Model Hill Climber should be made with Lego. Your model should have 4 wheels, two-wheel drive and 1:1 gear ratio. Students should work in groups of 3 or 4 and make a total of 4 or 5 models. Each group is required to time their model over a distance of 4 metres and to complete at least 4 trials. Each student is required to record, graph and analyse (statistically) the class results for all models. The tabled data and graphs are to be done on computer. Time will be allocated in your computing class.
- The Lego motors work at approximately 4000 revolutions / minute (you may be able to check this yourself using the strobe light). Assuming an efficiency of 50% work out the gear ratio required to cover the 4m in 10 seconds. Test and record your results. Work backwards and calculate the true efficiency of the motor you are using. Present and analyse your data and show and explain all calculations.
- Using your standard model consider the effect of changing one variable at a time. Table and appropriately present the data you collect which you must use to support the decisions you make about your real Hill Climber. The variables you may consider are:
a) gear ratios
b) load
c) wheel size
d) four wheel drive.
- Use the knowledge and experience you've gained working with your standard model to document and calculate motor speed (loaded and unloaded), gear ratios and time trials of your real Hill Climber.
- Record, present and analyse your own group's results of the final performance of your Hill Climber against the other groups in the class.
Note: Important aspects of any model making or research project are the way you record, display and analyse your data. Pay particular attention to the way you deal with these aspects in your project.
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