Super Secret Science Challenge SIX: Sleds

Can you design two sleds -- one fast and one slow -- to deliver our Secret Agents to the lair of the evil Mr. Fluffly? You'll need to balance the effects of gravity and friction to make your design work. Join in the engineering fun with this installment of the Super Secret Science Challenge!

This week's suggested supplies:

• 2 cardboard or plastic trays
• 2 drinking straws
• 2 bamboo skewers
• 2 pencil
• 2 pipe cleaners
• 4 binder clips
• 4 paperclips
• 1 piece of copy paper
• 1 piece of wax paper
• 1 piece of plastic sheeting
• 1 piece of cotton fabric
• 4 old AA or AAA batteries
• Assorted tapes -- invisible, masking, duct, packing, etc. 
• A small toy to act as the pilot
• A wood plank, plastic rain gutter, or other material to act as the track

For this week's challenge, students will need to play with the balance between the force of gravity (and weight) on the sled and the friction between the sled and the track. The position of the pilot and any ballast (like the batteries or binder clips) can make for a great discussion about the center of gravity. 

Meanwhile, the decision between using a flat bottomed design, versus one with runners leads to an excellent discussion about how friction works. (The more contact, the more friction.) Additionally, the materials selected for the bottom of the sled (or even for a parachute behind it) can greatly affect how fast the sled moves on the track.

You can use anything you want as a track, but make sure the starting point and end point are clearly defined. The angle of the track will greatly affect the way the sleds run, as will any curves or bends. This can be fun for experimentation.

Good luck agents!

Super Secret Science Challenge FIVE: Parachutes

This week we have new heroes on our side: The B Team. They need to parachute into enemy territory and bug Mr. Fluffy's Lair! Are you the right Science Officer for the challenge? Let's find out, with this week's Super Secret Science Challenge!

Today's list of suggested supplies are:

• 1 yard of string
• 1 plastic shopping bag
• 1 sheet of newspaper
• 3 sheets of copy paper
• 1 lunch bag
• 5 coffee filters
• 1 8.5x11” piece of aluminum foil
• A small paper cup
• 8 paper clips, assorted
• 1 pipe cleaner
• Various tapes -- invisible, masking, duct, etc.
• A small toy as the pilot

To make this challenge even more fun, give your scientist two goals: create a parachute with the longest hang time possible and try to land right on a target. I drop my parachutes from a height of 2 meters (roughly the height of a door frame) with the feet of the "B Team" member as the bottom of the unit. Encourage students to create more than a single parachute for the challenge, as it can be tough to meet both objectives with one or, allow students to move the target to where they predict the parachute will land.

A parachute is a fairly simple creation. It's primarily composed of a canopy made of some type of material, which creates lift (and drag) through the frictional force of air resistance. The parachute is connected to the pilot, who is held in a harness, by lines that connect to the canopy. The pilot is pulled by gravity towards the ground.

Good luck Agents! Hope you have fun making your creations!

Super Secret Science Challenge FOUR

This week, field agents Misty, Sunshine and The Weather Weasel have been captured by the evil Mr. Fluffy. They need to build a super complicated, crazy contraption to distract the villain before he can use his Puppinator to change all of the world's dogs into cats!

This week's materials are:

• 6-4x6 and 2-3x5 Index cards 
• 3 dixie cups 
• 4 bamboo skewers 
• assorted cardboard (corrugated and chipboard) 
• 6 feet of twine 
• 10 paper clips 
• 10 assorted rubber bands 
• 2 marbles 
• 1 ping pong ball 
• 3 toilet paper tubes 
• 1 balloon 
• 4 drinking straws 
• 4 pipe cleaners 
• 2 clothes pins 
• 10 tongue depressors 
• 1 disposable spoon 
• masking tape and scotch tape 

This week's challenge encourages students to build a Rube Goldberg Machines. These contraptions are designed to make simple tasks much more complicated, often with silly results. Aside from being tremendously creative projects that are a lot of fun to build, Rube Goldberg Machines also give students the opportunity to explore simple machines.

Simple machines -- such as inclined planes, levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, wedges and screws -- are mechanical tools that make work easier by changing the direction or amount of force used to complete a task. We use simple machines every day, and when we combine them, we can create complex machines. Challenge older students to identify examples of simple machines within their crazy contraption.

Have fun! And please, don't hesitate to share your pictures of your machines!

We'll be back next week with another Super Secret Science Challenge. You can take the challenge at Kaleidoscope, or bring it to your school or club!

Like this? Help support this and other fun programs with your donation.

 

The FIRST Super Secret Science Challenge

This week we had our first Super Secret Science Challenge this week, at the Kaleidoscope Learning Center and at Belvidere Elementary School. Want to play along at home? Check out the video below!

Here are the supplies our Science Officers were given:

• 3 cups -- one each styrofoam, plastic and paper
• Various string -- 3 feet of twine and 9 feet of fishing line
• 1 9" latex balloon
• 2 pipe cleaners
• 2 drinking straws
• 2 bamboo skewers
• 7 tongue depressors
• 2 disposable spoons
• Paper -- one sheet copy paper, 1 3x5 index card, 1 4x6 index card
• 2 pieces of cardboard
• Tape -- masking and invisible
• 10 assorted rubber bands
• 1 pair of scissors

All items were packed into a plastic Ziploc-style bag. Students were only allowed to use the items they were given, nothing else. Everyone had to work in a team to transport as many mini marshmallows as possible across the floor over a distance of 10 feet without aiding their contraption after "launch." Are you up to the challenge?

If you want to make it even tougher,  try for 15 or 20 feet. Or try to send multiple pieces of food,  large pieces of food or really heavy food.

We'll be back next week with another Super Secret Science Challenge. You can take the challenge at Kaleidoscope, or bring it to your school or club!

Like this? Help support this and other fun programs with your donation.