Design Challenge Portfolio: Balloon Powered Cars

Name: ______Section: ______

Description:

Students will construct a balloon-powered car that rolls across the floor due to a force applied by a balloon. Balloon-powered cars will be designed for maximum speed and distance.

Design Constraints:

  • All parts of the car (including the wheels) must be made out recycled materials. They must be made out of materials that were not originally intended to be used as car parts. That means that no toy car kits or special materials may be bought for the project. Cars will be made from everyday household items.
  • The car must be powered by one balloon, which will be provided. Balloons are the only source of energy for the car. No additional outside forces of energy are permitted, including push starts, blowing on the car, batteries, etc.
  • No limitations on size or weight are given.
  • Each car must be capable of performing multiple race trial runs.

Grading:

  • Each student will be graded on his/her own participation, group skills, and effort as classwork grades over the course of the week.
  • Each student will be graded on his/her completion of any homework each night of the week.
  • Each student’s project grade will be based upon the successful completion of the Design Portfolio.

Awards (just for fun!):

Cars that follow all of the rules will be eligible for the following 6A Team awards:

  • Fastest Car, 2nd Fastest Car, 3rd Fastest Car
  • Most Attractive Car
  • Most Unusual Design
  • Farthest Distance Traveled, 2nd Farthest, 3rd Farthest

Balloon Car Design Challenge

Project Grading Rubric

Name: / Your points
Portfolio Components
Step 1: Identify / 10 pts
Complete, detailed / 5 pts
Complete, lacking details / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 2: Research / 5 pts
Complete, detailed / 3 pts
Complete, lacking details / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 3: Brainstorm / 10 pts
3 sketches; labels and descriptions of materials / 5 pts
3 sketches; no labels or descriptions / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 4: Choose / 10 pts
Complete; thorough answers; detailed sketch / 5 pts
Answers and sketch are lacking details / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 5: Build / 10 pts
Complete; detailed; reflects any design changes / 5 pts
Lacking details; does not reflect any design changes / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 6: Test / 20pts
Complete; has accurate data, correct calculations and graph; shows work / 10 pts
Has incorrect data, calculations, or graph; does not show work / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 7: Communicate / 5 pts
Complete, detailed / 3 pts
Answer lacks details / 0 pts
Incomplete
Step 8: Redesign / 10 pts
Complete, detailed / 5 pts
Answers lack details / 0 pts
Incomplete
Peer Ranking (maximum 10 points)
Car’s Performance Component / 10 pts
Car’s performance was excellent compared with other groups on team / 5 pts
Car’s performance was average compared with other groups on team / 0 pts
Car’s performance was below average when compared with other groups on team
Total Score:

Step 1: Identify the Need or Problem

A. Product that you will be designing:

______

______

B. What is the goal for your design?

______

______

Step 2: Research the Need or Problem

Virtual Balloon Car Builder Research
Variable / Best for Distance / Best for Speed
Body Shape
Axle Length
Air Opening
Wheel Size
  • Step 3: Develop Possible Solutions

Each person should come up with at least 3 design sketches. Be sure to label each sketch with the types of materials that you think it should be made out of!

Step 4: Select the Best Possible Solution

  1. Complete the following chart with the Pros and Cons of each design idea. Each person must complete the chart individually.

Design 1 / Design 2
Pros / Cons / Pros / Cons
Design 3 / Design 4
Pros / Cons / Pros / Cons

Design 5

/ Design 6
Pros / Cons / Pros / Cons
Design 7 / Design 8
Pros / Cons / Pros / Cons
Design 9 / Design 10
Pros / Cons / Pros / Cons
Design 11 / Design 12
Pros / Cons / Pros / Cons

B. Choose your best possible design

______

C. Name of your Car: ______

  1. Describe why your group chose the design that you did (what part of the design was significantly better, what components are included and why, etc.)

______

______

  1. Detailed Drawing of the Design (Include labels of all materials):

Step 5: Build a Prototype

Each group will build one prototype. Each member should record a brief journal of the step-by-step construction process. Include the order in which the parts of the car were assembled, and any problems that you ran into during construction.

______

______
Step 6: Test and Evaluate the Solution

It is extremely important that you record accurate data during the race trials. For each trial of your car, record the appropriate data in the table below. Use the data to calculate car speed, calculate the average/mean, and create a Distance – Time Graph. Each person must record their own data and create their own graphs and calculations. For all calculations, show the formula and all work.

Part A: Test
Race Trial / Distance / Time
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Part B: Evaluate
Trial One: Calculate Speed
Trial Two: Calculate Speed
Trial Three: Calculate Speed
Part C: Average/Mean(add your 3 numbers, divide by 3)
Trial
/
Distance (from Part A)
/
Speed (from Part B)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Calculate Your Average/Mean Distance:
______/
Calculate Your Average/Mean Speed:
______
Part D: Input/Output Table

Use your speed for each trial (from Part C) to calculate how far your car did go/could go in the given time.

Speed (from Part B) / 1 second / 2 seconds / 3 seconds / 4 seconds / 5 seconds
Trial 1 (Speed: ______)
Trial 2 (Speed: ______)
Trial 3 (Speed: ______)

Part E: Distance – Time Graph

Label the y axis with intervals that make sense for your car’s distances!

KEY:Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Step 7: Communicate the Solution

Obtain the data from the other cars in the class. Compare your car’s results to the results of the rest of the class.

  • Average/Mean speed of my car: ______
  • Average/Mean speed of other cars in class:

______

  • Average/Mean distance of my car: ______
  • Average/Mean distance(other cars in class):

______

How do you feel that your design was able to compete with the other cars in the class? Did it do better than most cars in one category , both categories, or did it do worse?

______

Step 8: Redesign

Feedback

  • Explain and describe why your design was or was not successful. Describe difficulties that your group encountered. ______
  • Explain how you would improve or modify your design if you could redesign. ______