PhysicsWheeled and levitating vehicles

STEM Box Challenge Launch, 22.10.13

Dr Stephen Gibson, Lecturer in Physics

2

Physics challenge overview: Phase one, Wheeled Vehicles

- Farthest distance travelled.

- Fastest vehicle over a set distance.

- Fattest (heaviest) load pulled over a set distance.

Challenge your students:

» Using only the items in the box and your ingenuity, design a self-powered, wheeled vehicle that is powered by an elastic band or a balloon.

» Experimentally test which power source to choose and optimise the vehicle differently to compete in three challenges:

3

Physics challenge overview: Phase one, Wheeled Vehicles

• Mechanical piece for vehicle construction: 4 wheels, chassis pieces,/ straws. axles, bearings.

• Power sources; elastic bands of different strengths / sizes, including spares; balloons + straws.

• Small weights for testing elastic band extension.

• Document showing outline of vehicle construction

• Worksheet with ideas for experiment test and vehicle optimisation

What’s in the box?

» Box include the essentials to construct your vehicles:

4

Physics challenge overview: Phase one, Wheeled Vehicles

Some vehicle ideas:

» The design is up to your students, but must use one of the power sources provided.

» The challenge is how to optimize the design for the three different tasks:

» Think about vehicle mass, acceleration, stored energy, speed of release…

5

Physics challenge overview: Phase II, compete at RHUL + levitation!

» On completing the challenges at your school, enter your vehicle in a summer competition at Royal Holloway, University of London.

» In the final challenge, make your vehicles levitate with a little help from our liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors and watch it take off and soar along a magnetic track.

6

Curriculum links

stored (potential) energy in the elastic band or balloon and conversion of energy to other forms (kinetic + heat).

kinematics: time, distance, speed and acceleration.

forces, motion and reducing friction.

» Students learning outcomes are linked to the most recent Key Stage 3 curriculum:

» Aim to bring the concepts to life through the practical demonstrations!

» No knowledge of superconductors is needed…

7

Added value:

» Royal Holloway will support your school with two contact/interface sessions: Interface 1: Initial skype meeting with teacher / pupils regarding the wheeled vehicle challenges in the competition.

Explain challenge and give pointers on optimising the models for the three challenges.

Interface 2: School visit to include demonstration with liquid nitrogen, to test static levitation with a short test track.

8

Added value:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJV5PSpYPL0#t=183

» Superconducting / low temperature technology support through Royal Holloway Physics Department:

Superconductors manufactured via the crystal growth facility in the RHUL Physics.

Diamagnetic (pyrolytic graphite) can be used for static levitation demonstration.

We’ll also provide a magnetically levitating racetrack for the competition at RHUL.

A glimpse of what’s possible:

Questions?