Design and Make a Candle Carousel (Grade 7)

Topic:

• Understanding Structures and Mechanisms - Form and Function
• Understanding Earth and Space Systems - Heat in the Environment

Introduction:

This multi-step project is an excellent way to introduce students to sheet metal fabrication and fastening techniques. While such an activity is ideally done in a metalworking facility, the cutting, bending, and soldering of tinplate can be done with just a few basic hand tools. determined by the relationship between input and output forces.

Scenario:

There is a special celebration/anniversary about to take place in your family. Because you have been asked to help with the decorations, you want to create something very unique and eyecatching. Design and make a twirling mobile suitable for a table centrepiece.

Design Specifications:

• The heat from two or more candles must power it.
• It must be made of metal.
• For safety reasons, it must be difficult to knock over.
• It must be interesting and attractive.

Students will be required to submit:

• Prior to fabrication – list of brainstorming ideas, 3 rough sketches, final design choice appropriately reflects the social/family occasion
• At the end of the design process - completed prototype, self evaluation, a labeled scientific diagram and a brief explanation of how the carousel works using the particle theory.