Science fair project
Moderator: berkeleywebs
Science fair project
Hello, can you see if you have anything on science fair project on elevator,lifting, carry heavy loads easier and faster. for example, when lifting a heavy load into a truck, the load is placed onto the lever and lifted by the wheel and axle up to the inclined plane. Then it moves downwards into the truck. It works with a pully, thus making the lifting easier.The pulley helps lift the heavy load. Examples of what I would like to use a lever for to lift a ping-pong ball then have it glide into the inclined plane and move downward slant which forces the ping-pong ball to travel quickly. Do you have anything close to this. If so, I would appreciate any information in project form. Thanks
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carolinethorn
- Former Expert
- Posts: 393
- Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 2:40 pm
Hi,
The point of this site is to help people talk through their ideas for the project not to give you a list of how to do it. Besides, judges know if a student hassn't come up with the ideas themselves and so don't give as good grades. We can help though with understanding about scientific method and with fine tuning the ideas that you come up with - Check out the link at the top on the left about "How to do a Science Fair Project" for some good preparation.
Basically it sounds like you have some good ideas to start from you just need to add variables into the mix to make it into an experimental project. If you are going to build the pulley yourself you could study how a different size wheel in the pulley would effect how easy or difficult it is to move the load. Or you could use a pre-made pulley and experiment with how the height of the truck or the length of the plane effects moving the load. Or you could change the weight of the load - this might be tricky if you stick with a pingpong ball for your load but you could try injectiing the pingpong ball with something to change the weight without changing its volume. Pick one variable and start thinking about that rather than trying to vary everything at once.
If you try the link at the top of the page on the left to the "Science Fair Project Ideas" - i think there is one on levers and pulleys in the applied mechanics section. You could take a look at that as soemwhere to start from.
Once you have some basic plans try posting on the physical science part of the board and people will help you
Best of luck,
Caroline
The point of this site is to help people talk through their ideas for the project not to give you a list of how to do it. Besides, judges know if a student hassn't come up with the ideas themselves and so don't give as good grades. We can help though with understanding about scientific method and with fine tuning the ideas that you come up with - Check out the link at the top on the left about "How to do a Science Fair Project" for some good preparation.
Basically it sounds like you have some good ideas to start from you just need to add variables into the mix to make it into an experimental project. If you are going to build the pulley yourself you could study how a different size wheel in the pulley would effect how easy or difficult it is to move the load. Or you could use a pre-made pulley and experiment with how the height of the truck or the length of the plane effects moving the load. Or you could change the weight of the load - this might be tricky if you stick with a pingpong ball for your load but you could try injectiing the pingpong ball with something to change the weight without changing its volume. Pick one variable and start thinking about that rather than trying to vary everything at once.
If you try the link at the top of the page on the left to the "Science Fair Project Ideas" - i think there is one on levers and pulleys in the applied mechanics section. You could take a look at that as soemwhere to start from.
Once you have some basic plans try posting on the physical science part of the board and people will help you
Best of luck,
Caroline