Progress Report #2!

We have recently been handed our progress reports for Engineering. This is basically a paper giving us an overall basis of how we have been doing so far in Engineering Class. It shows us the skills we need to work on and things we've become proficient in. I feel as though I'm doing well excluding the two 2.5's I have in the "define problems" and "writing arguments" standard. Aside from those two I've exceeded the class average, meaning I'm doing fine. Before I had all green bars but now I’ve gained two yellow bars, meaning I need to work on improving my grades. I find defining problems and writing arguments difficult so over this marking period I need to work on those two skills in particular. I’ve mastered “assignments”, “design process”, “reading to determine the central idea”, “write collaboratively, and “blogging.” I find blogging to be the simplest  way to earn a good grade because I actually do enjoy writing. In order to master each skill I could work on the skills more by going over my notes and practicing each of them. Overall I believe I did well on my progress report.

Our Overall Coaster Car

As I have talked about in my past blog posts, recently in school my group and I have been working on coaster cars. In order to create our coaster cars we had to follow the design process. This is an eight step process, which is followed in order to successfully attain the most efficient design. Although it had taken a few weeks, eventually we were able to construct a quality coaster car.

The first step was to define the problem, which required us to review the criteria, constraints, and objective of the design. The objective of our design was to have the coaster car roll down the ramp in a straight line with the greatest acceleration. The criteria of the designs were the distance from the straight line, weight, and the distance traveled. The constraints were to use CD's as the wheels, 3/16 wooden dowels as the axles, and the coaster car had to have no power source. This step was significant because it'd help us evaluate our prototypes to see if they met all of the requirements.

After we defined the problem we generated our ideas. In order to do so we gathered all of our ideas and sketched them on graph paper. For example, I believed using a water bottle for the chassis and two axles, with one wheel on each side of the axles would be best because it'd stabilize the car so I constructed a drawing. This step helped us select our design concept because it gave us a variety of ideas to contemplate.

The third step was to select a design concept, in which we'd evaluate each of our ideas while considering which would best meet the criteria, constraints, and objective of the coaster car. In order to do so we looked at scientific evidence. For example, we decided to use styrofoam as the chassis because it'd be lightweight and according to Newtons law, the less mass, the greater the acceleration and the less friction. This step helped us develop detailed designs because we had to get a precise idea of what we'd be constructing before we actually created the designs.

The fourth step in the designing process is developing detailed designs. In order to complete this step we reviewed the measurements and materials that we'd need in order to develop a layout. This step basically gave us an overall view of how our car would be assembled and the measurements of each part. Without it we wouldn't of had a clear understanding on how the prototype should have been built.

After we developed detail designs, it was finally time to create our prototype. While following our designs, we assembled our first prototype in the way we felt it'd best meet the criteria, constraints, and objective. For example, we used a thin piece of styrofoam, two axles, one wheel on each side of the axle and one in the middle, believing this coaster car would be well stabilized and have a large acceleration because it's lightweight. This step was extremely significant because without it we'd have no prototype to evaluate.

Next, we evaluated our prototypes, placing the coaster car on a ramp and measuring the distance. We performed three different trials to get an accurate measurement of how far the coaster car had gone. This step contributed to refining the design because it allowed us to get an overall consensus on what we needed to improve and change.

The seventh step was refining the design, in which we realized what we should have changed and improved based on the data recorded during our evaluation. For example, one thing we came to realization about was the fact that we needed a thicker chassis since our first one broke, unable to support the axles of the coaster car. This step was quite prominent, seeing as it helped us create the most efficient car. This step was also required in order for us to communicate our results because we obviously needed a completed car in order to create a report. This step was basically a cycle so each time we refined the designs we'd create an entirely new prototype, evaluate it, and refine it until we ended up with the perfect car.

Finally, after refining the coaster car and completing it we communicated and processed the results. This basically meant we'd develop a report and presentation on our overall coaster car. We recorded all of our data and talked about what we did in order to construct a finished product. This step is necessary because it's basically a manual for anyone who'd want to create a coaster car as well. After following all of the steps, reviewing the requirements, and following scientific evidence we ended up with a finished product that had a styrofoam chassis, two axles, two wheels on each side of the axles, and straws for the bearings. This was our best overall design seeing as it was stabilized and traveled a fair distance.

Coaster Car Presentations Using Google Docs!

In engineering class we've recently created presentations for our coaster cars, which basically summed up the designing process, our prototypes, and whether or not our coaster car met its objectives. Using google docs for our presentation was actually less time consuming as opposed to powerpoint. It was more efficient and made it easier to collaborate with the other group members. We were able to complete the presentation and add animations within a day seeing as google docs wasn't difficult to function. We worked well together and were each assigned an equal amount of work. Since we used google docs we were all able to work together after school to complete the presentation. Google docs enabled us to give eachother feedback on things we should've fixed and changed to enhance each slide. Their were already pre-background themes so we didn't have to waste time creating presentable slides, which would have been time consuming. Personally I don't have any complaints about using google docs, seeing as it was actually quite simple and efficient. Along with using google docs, my group members cooperation made this presentation an overall success.

Writing Arguments

Being able to properly write an argument is a fundamental skill needed in order to obtain an education and it is basically used on an everyday basis. Whether it's trying to get your parents to extend your curfew or convincing an individual to buy a product, argumentative skills are always needed. Over the past few weeks in engineering class we have been writing an argument report for our coaster car that our group has recently built. In this report we were required to talk about why our coaster car was a success and the steps we took in order to construct it the way it currently is. I learned that arguments have to be precised and reasonable. Your claim must be backed up by facts and evidence or else it won't be legitimate. While working on this report with my group, I realized it was quite difficult working and cooperating with others at the same time on a document. It was generally confusing and the experience was new to me, seeing as I've never had an assignment similar to this, however I was able to grasp the concept of it all. I believe this report was difficult because we had trouble planning out who would do what and having all of our paragraphs flow together in the end. This writing report helped improve my skills in working with others. Our group was able to work together being open minded and accepting constructive criticism. This task can help us outside of engineering class. For instance, it helped us improve our social skills and enhanced our cooperation skills and ability to profoundly work as a team. These skills can pertain to us career wise as well! Perhaps we get a job in the business industry, we'd have to use these skills to make sales, persuading the consumer to buy the products. It could also help us when trying to obtain something, whether it is physically an object or an action. For instance, let's say you want your mom to buy you a new iphone, you could use this skill to help persuade her by telling her all of the positive reasons on why she should get you one. Argumentative skills are necessary in life in order for us to actually get what we want or rightfully deserve.

Thanksgiving, What's on Your Table?

Picture this, you're sitting alongside your entire family at a fine wooden table with a large silk cloth draped over it. Upon this cloth is a diversity of home cooked meals varying from mashed potatoes, beans, corn bread, pie, and let's not forget turkey. Of course, it's that time of year again! The aroma of the crisp turkey baking in the oven and the cinnamon essence fills the air. It's Thanksgiving, a blissful time of year about giving thanks for everything we have in life, essentially a roof over our heads, food at our tables, clothes, and a family to share it with. Sure, the things we're thankful for differ depending on who we are and the circumstances we're under. Nevertheless, I'm positive we can all agree on one thing, Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to eat all the meals you could possible desire! Although, what many of us do not know is many of the meals sitting on our tables have actually been genetically modified! This basically means the ingredients were sent to labs to be modified in order to enhance their nutrients and taste. For example, let's take corn, which is usually on a majority of our tables during this time of year. Transgenic corn is bred to resist weed killers and kill "Bt", a common toxin to corn. This basically means they're monitored and genetically rearranged to grow a certain way. In fact, many of our meals aren't actually organic as we may believe. Sure, as expected we often see everyday store bought fruits and vegetables as "fresh" and untampered with, however most of the time they've been altered. Personally, I feel as though genetically altering vegetables, fruits, and livestock is better because it provides much more, quantity wise and perhaps quality wise. The way I view it as is, there are so many individuals out there struggling to make ends meet, satisfied with even a spoonful of food, genetically modifying food can significantly help them. If we can easily grow much more healthier crops, there will be more to provide for them. Indeed, there are negatives to genetically modified foods, however they are actually more so beneficial than unhealthy.

Coaster Car- Prototyping!

Recently, we've completed our coaster cars in Engineering Class. We completed four different prototypes in order to find the most stable coaster car, with the largest velocity. Although it may not seem like much, prototyping is a lot of work and must be precise. It is a huge part of the designing process, seeing as you must find the best model that completes the objective. The objective of our design was to roll down the ramp successfully in a straight line, traveling as far as possible. This meant we had to rearrange our car in various ways in order to discover which one would be the best.

Our original car was designed to be simple yet effective. We decided to use styrofoam as the chassis of our coaster car because according to Newtons law of gravity, the smaller the mass, the larger the acceleration. We used rubber hubs, 3/16 wooden axles, and straws as the bearings. We placed two wheels on each side of the car and two in the middle. We began prototyping by assigning a task to each member of our group. I, maintained traffic, assuring no one was in the way of our coaster car, enabling it to roll down the ramp freely. Gulsanam, another member in my group, dropped the coaster car down the ramp while Tanzim collected data. Next, we'd place the coaster car on the string, located in the middle of the ramp. The rear of the car would be on the very top of the ramp and it'd then be released, afterwards as the car stopped somewhere along the bottom of the ramp, we'd measure the distance the car traveled. We'd preform this three times for each prototype.

Eventually, we ended up constructing four different cars and ended up with a coaster car that was much wider than the original and on each side of the axles were two wheels, therefore we ended up having 8 wheels on our final design. We felt that having more wheels would stabilize the car and keep it from roaming off the track. This ended up being the best design, seeing as our car stayed on track and rolled the farthest out of our previous prototypes.

Through our four different prototypes we were able to enhance, rearrange, and repair our coaster car. I feel as though personally this project opened up a whole new "light" of engineering. I was able to actually experience how difficult the designing process is and the significance of brainstorming and prototyping. Engineering is a massive part of our everyday life and tools, it is far more simply said than done. It takes a lot more time and effort than I had originally thought. Overall, I feel our group did a good job prototyping and I believe this project was a success.

Hurricane Sandy- The Relief

We have recently been massively impacted by a sudden hurricane sweeping the entire East Coast. Many were left without power and homes have been obliterated, leaving millions struggling to make ends meet. This hurricane known as "Hurricane Sandy" beat records, becoming the largest Atlantic hurricane in history. At least 20 billion dollars of damages have been done, leaving east coasters at a critical state. Personally, I believe no one was actually well prepared for this storm. I suppose we were not anticipating for it to have been as bad as it actually was since it's quite rare around our areas. Reality hit hard after October 31 as the hurricane degenerated. Many had been awoken to the loss of power, the collapsing of trees, which caused sudden outbursts of fires, and harsh winds destroying houses and cable wires. Others were forced to evacuate the comforts of their homes and take shelter elsewhere. It will take quite an extensive time period for us to fully recover from this natural disaster, but I believe if we all work together we can
return to our average lifestyles.

Many efforts are being made to provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. However, engineers could have actually have done a few things to prevent the hurricane from having such a strong impact on us. We could have developed a better system of preventing the water from rising up to the land. Perhaps we could have created dams or built a storm surge barrier. This is a flood gate designed to protect the area behind the barrier from being flooded. It would basically be a system of levees and gates acting as a shield, protecting the city. To prepare for any future disasters we could possibly create land based parks with patches of wetlands and tidal salt marshes. These would soak up the water and believe it or not, could protect the coastline from flooding. According to Cassell, three different types of streets could be created, redesigning their structures to protect certain areas from the surges of water. "Type one streets" could be replaced with material able to absorb water. "Type two streets" could be designed to have the water run into marshes meanwhile ponds could collect run off. "Type three streets" would be parallel to the shore, ultimately draining the water back into the ocean. Lastly, we could also create "oyster beds." These are basically piles of oysters that eventually pass away and as they do this, new born oysters begin to form on top of them. Eventually, they pile up and create an oyster bed. Oysters are basically a water filtration system, they can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. Not only would the oysters be diminishing the harsh wave action, but they would also filter our water! They would allow marshes to grow around them, which would decrease the chances of flooding!

As you can see, there are numerous things we could do to protect the cities from any future hurricanes. We may not be able to foresee the future, but we are able to control the impact of natural disasters! It may take a vast amount of time, hard work, and a lot of money, but the longer we wait, the more chances we have of once again being at such a vulnerable state. Sooner or later we will have to develop a way to protect our area, let's just hope it's sooner rather than later.


Sources-
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Report Cards: Engineering Class

Recently the class has gotten their report cards however, I haven't yet received mine so I decided to evaluate my "active grade" grades. I believe I've worked to the full extent that I can in Engineering Class. I've completed all of my assignments and have worked to the best of my abilities. I've actually studied for tests and have put a lot of time and effort into these blogs. Nevertheless, their are quite a few things I can improve on this marking period, seeing as I do have a few 3's. I can improve my skills on the design process and defining the problem. I can do so by simply working on constructing the coaster car and physically going through each step in the design process. I've received a three on "organization" for binder check because I haven't been putting the dates on handouts; this marking period I've ensured that I do so. I have also gotten a three for presentation because I wasn't making eye contact with the audience. I believe I can correct this by running through my presentation a day prior to the actual presentation, ensuring I understand the design and am able to explain it in 30-45 seconds. Overall, I believe I did well on my report card, seeing as we're only in the first marking period. My goal is to improve and keep my grades steady.

Next Time I do an Elevator Pitch I will...

Basically an elevator pitch is a "concise presentation of an object or idea covering all of the aspects of the product." It has to be delivered in a limited time, typically a few seconds, thus the title "elevator pitch" seeing as an elevator ride is only a few seconds long. We were asked to create an elevator pitch for our coaster car design and explain it thoroughly in 30-45 seconds. Overall I think I did a moderate job of presenting my design, however their are many things I could improve on. For one, I didn't make enough eye contact with the audience and I had looked at my design far too much, relying on it more than I should have. I should've included an intro to catch the readers eyes. My presentation was 48 seconds, which was too long for the average elevator pitch, which should be no longer that 30-45 seconds. I suppose I should have been more prepared and ready to present. Next time to improve on my elevator pitch the day prior to the presentation I will run through my presentation and time myself. This will make sure I don't go over 45 seconds, while also making sure I explain my design thoroughly. Next time, while following the guidelines I'm sure my presentation will go a lot more smoothly.

Unpowered Coaster Car!

In engineer class we were asked to present an "elevator pitch" for our unpowered coaster cars. I chose to design a simple light weight coaster car because I felt it'd be more efficient. As the chassis, I decided to use a foam container that is often given to an individual after ordering chinese take out. I felt this was best because it'd be light weight and wouldn't weigh the wheels down, perhaps giving it more velocity. I felt using straws for the bearings would be best because it's secure and it isn't costly. It'd enable the wheels from falling off, stabilizing the car. Each one of these parts are significant because if one was missing, the entire car would be defected and would be unable to reach the objective, which is rolling down the ramp. I believe placing two CD's on each side of the coaster car would be the most efficient position because it'd be well stabilized on both sides. Keeping the design simple is essential; as long as the constraints and criteria's are met and the coaster car is able to roll down the ramp securely the design is fine, there's no need to complicate things.

Engineers are simply everywhere!

Engineers can be found anywhere; in fact we indeed are somewhat engineers. We take part in the "Engineer process" whether we're cooking or creating something. The engineer process is essential when creating an efficient and economical product, design, or recipe. Engineers are key to our everyday lives. They work on railroads, sewage systems, dams, power plants, airports, canals, tunnels, and many other key facilities to our society. They work day to day to reach the criteria and constraints of a product or design and perfect it. It's a difficult job and you must be dedicated to withhold it. Of course, hard work does come with its rewards. Engineers make a decent amount of money averagely waged from around eighty to ninety thousand dollars yearly! Engineers are highly sophisticated, creative, and devoted individuals. After all, “scientists dream about doing great things, engineers do them!”

Obtaining a Successful Group!

There are many qualities members of a group should obtain depending on the project or assignment given. Basically, I expect my group to be on task throughout the entire class. They should be focused and everyone should contribute to the project. They should use constructive criticism, rather than verbal abuse because arguing doesn't actually fix the problem; it just wastes time, which is limited. Even if someone has a disagreement with another, we should all set our differences aside and work together as a team or else we would be unable to progress or succeed. We should push each other to work hard and focus on the quality of the design and manage our time. If the projects are not completed on time and we spend too much time focusing on one step in the design process, it would be a complete disaster and our grades would plummet. I expect everyone to be as optimistic as possible because if we think negatively we would just be setting ourselves up for failure. In order for a group to actually complete a task successfully, we would have to keep an open mind, listen to each other’s views, and be willing to exert an equal amount of effort into our assignments. Personally, I hope my group members manage our time efficiently because I’m terrible when it comes to timing. If my group obtains all of these qualities we should have no problem working together productively.

Everyday Engineering: The Design Process!

Everyone loves indulging themselves in a decadent cupcake from time to time. As a child I'd love to experiment with various recipes to assemble the "perfect" cupcake. However, up until now I hadn't realized I had actually taken part in the "design process." This is an eight step process used to create or enhance a product. Whether it was assorted fruits, food coloring, or flavors I'd mix and match all sorts.

The first step in the design process is defining the problem, the problem I had was my cupcakes never had the perfect taste. Yes, it was delightful, but something was always missing. After finding the problem I'd think of ways to improve on my baking by brainstorming, which is the second step. I'd think of possible ingredients that I could use that would mix well together. I'd look at recipes on the internet, in recipe books, and mix and match my own personal combinations. Then I'd bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees and I'd taste it to evaluate whether it was better or worst than the last batch. Nevertheless, I'd continue to try improving on each recipe because there's always room for improvement. I'd constantly research more in depth to find the perfect combination of spices and ingredients. Each time as I'd combine different ingredients I'd record each step in a book to be sure I hadn't used the same recipes twice or to record the most preeminent combinations. I refined the cupcakes each time until I found a perfect combination of ingredients. Eventually, after savoring my many batches of cupcakes I found one with the perfect taste.

After realizing the predicament was that my cupcakes never had the right taste I'd brainstorm ways to make it better. I'd then bake the cupcakes and evaluate it and refine it to find the ingredients that should be taken out and the ones that should be added into the mixing bowl. Although I hadn't gone through all of the steps I had somewhat gone through the design process to construct the "perfect" cupcake.

Links!
Popular Cupcake Recipes
Cupcake Recipe- Vanilla Cupcakes
Cupcake Recipe- Red Velvet Cupcakes

If I Were an Engineer I Would be a Biomedical Engineer

Imagine graduating college and being able to say you are currently saving thousands of lives every year. Imagine having the pride of benefiting the lives of everyday people and actually have made a change for better. No, this is not a fictional story; it’s the life of a Biomedical Engineer! These engineers aren’t your ordinary everyday doctors seen twice a year. However, they do in fact work to ensure the safety of patients and treat diseases.

Biomedical Engineers basically create designs to help us understand the human body system more thoroughly; they perform tests on products to be manufactured, conduct research, and may tend to patients. They can also build products for special health care and research. They may also supervise at hospitals, making sure the right tools are being used while aiding a patient. If I could be any type of engineer I’d like to be a Biomedical Engineer because I have had an interest in medical since I was a child and I’ve always loved making people smile.

There are no words to describe the utter happiness you’d feel knowing you’re actually making a change, actually saving lives. It’s surreal to know you’re preventing someone’s life from going off “the edge”. Just that alone is perfect. I’d want nothing more than that, to actually feel genuine pride. I’d love to be a Biomedical Engineer because they use analytical thinking on a daily basis to find solutions and make efficient products. I’d be dedicated and committed because I’d be doing something I’d love while benefiting the lives of others. The entire job seems to be blissful. 

Sources to learn more 

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