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Engineering board set-up

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:47 pm
by dexterblanton
I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or where i could go to get an idea of how to display my project. It is an invention so i don't have a hypothesis or variables/constants.
what do i need to include in my display.??

Re: Engineering board set-up

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:15 pm
by theborg
dexterblanton,

Welcome to Science Buddies and thank you for your question. I get questions concerning the difference between the scientific method and the engineering process often. The good news is that they are quite similar and are easily compatible with some adjustment in terms each process uses. This site has a good discussion of the engineering design process located here:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/engineer ... ml#keyinfo

As for your display board, you can find tips for an effective display and with just a bit of modification of the titles can turn it into an engineering display. You can find the info here:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... oard.shtml

That being said, each science project display should include these categories. I'll add my advice as to how to modify for an engineering project.

Title: No change. You should have a title for your invention

Abstract: No change. Even a design project can have an effective summary of the design process written into an abstract

Question: Change this to "Problem" - This should be the problem and/or issue your invention solves. Why did you invent it in the first place?

Variables and hypothesis: Change this to "Solution" - This should be how or what we need to solve the problem you outline above. How does your invention solve the problem.

Background research: No change. You will need to research if similar devices exist and what research has been done regarding the problem you are solving. With inventions, a patent search would look really good. Also, you will need research on the problem you are trying to solve and include that in your data analysis and discussion so we believe you that it is actually a problem and your invention solves it.

Materials list: No change. You will have materials to construct/design you project or what someone would need to build it.

Experimental procedure: Change this to "Design Process" - This will outline how you developed your invention from idea to final design, to include any iterations on design you did and analysis/selection of alternative designs.

Data analysis and discussion including data chart(s) & graph(s): No change. Any experimenting with prototypes and alternative designs should be displayed here to show how and why you settled on the final design and how and why it is the best solution for your problem.

Conclusions (including ideas for future research): No change. You will need to sum up all the previous work.

Acknowledgements: No change. Site any individuals who help you. Also, if anyone helped come up with the idea for your invention, you are obligated to include them in the credit for the invention.

Bibliography: No change. You will need site any sources used in your research and design

The above are suggested categories for a science project and my suggestions on modifications for an engineering project. You can include, or not, any way you want. However, if you have these, then I think you will have gone a long way in presenting a comprehensive project.