Umm.... Question... Answers please...

[Simplistic]

I would like to do a project in Enginneering because i want to become an Enginneer. However, every project relating to it is outside my respective field in Enginneering or is a project designed to build something, instead of testing a question, which is the whole purpose of the Science Fair Project.

I found a question, "how much of the gravitational potential energy of a marble at the starting point is converted to the kinetic energy of the marble at various points along the track," and i think its kindof interesting but i would really like to find a project more in relating to mechanical and biomedical enginneering. Is it possible to find one more relating to that field in enginneering or should i just stick to that question. I would really like to do a project i like, but i am still unsure...

Thank you for reading this...

[Louise]

I would like to do a project in Enginneering because i want to become an Enginneer. However, every project relating to it is outside my respective field in Enginneering or is a project designed to build something, instead of testing a question, which is the whole purpose of the Science Fair Project.

I found a question, "how much of the gravitational potential energy of a marble at the starting point is converted to the kinetic energy of the marble at various points along the track," and i think its kindof interesting but i would really like to find a project more in relating to mechanical and biomedical enginneering. Is it possible to find one more relating to that field in enginneering or should i just stick to that question. I would really like to do a project i like, but i am still unsure...

Thank you for reading this...

Simplistic,
There are several engineers on this forum and I'm sure they will chime in with suggestions about how to make a great engineering science project, but I thought I would jump in with a few suggestions, since I work in biophysics and some of my coworkers are biomedical engineers. A lot of what they study is what I study... they want to make devices and engineer things, but first they have to understand the basic science.

I would recommend coming up with an device that interests you, and then break it down and see how you can improve it. When you find the weak point, the failure point, you can define a question, and use the scientific method to address the investigation of the solution.

Let me give you an example of how to do this. Devices that are implanted in the human body have to have special characteristics. For example, the body responds to some foreign objects and attacks them. The human body also is an aqueous environment, with lots of ions floating around, so the material has to be resistant to chemical attack. A science project can be testing materials to find which one has the most beneficial properties (resistance to protein adhesion, resistance to corrosion or whatever). The motivation is engineering- but the testing method is the scientific method. Your different materials are the variables, the measured variable is the amount of corrosion or adhesion, etc.


The sciencebuddies website has some interesting biotechnology projects at:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... ?from=Home

I don't know if any of these interest you.

I think the marble idea may be too simplistic. You don't say what your grade level is, but I'm guessing you are an older student. It could work, but you would need to add an original twist.

Hope this helps!


Louise

[deleted-71588]

Finding an interesting engineering question that you can apply engineering methods to isn't much different than finding an interesting science question that you can find scientific methods to.

You first have to find something you are interested in and refine it into something that you can experiment with safely and within the Science Fair guidelines.

Engineering questions can involve a "cost function". Finding a "lower cost" solution to a problem. The "cost fuction" (something to quantify different solution costs) often involves far more complex things than simply money.

For example, the "cost" of installing, adjusting, and maintaining a pace maker for example (something that has been around for >30 years) isn't just the cost of the device but involves replacing the unit before the battery dies. The early units rarely lasted more than 3 years.

Engineering questions can also be evaluations:
1) can this be done? - hard to prove it can't but easy to prove it can simply by coming up with a solution.
2) will this material survive xyz?
3) How can xyz be measured accurately and to what precision?
4) How efficient is x at doing y?

Mechanical Engineering is a broad area that can deal with materials, physics, thermodynamics, and their interactions. Bioengineering often involves combinations of mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering.

Please respond with some more specific things you might be interested in so we can help you focus in on something that can be done as a Science Fair project.

[Simplistic]

Thank you very much for your responses. I am in 11th grade and i'm currently taking Physics and Advanced Placement Biology. I am interested in Engineering as such, Robotics (Mechanical), Bridges or Cars(Civil) and Biomedical Engineering.

I do not want a overly complex project but I also do not want to do an elementary project either. I want to be able to test a question within the Engineering category but I was able to find were descriptions for designing buildings and such. I have no problem with building something but Im not really answering or testing a question by doing that.

The only project that seems close would be the marble one and I agree. I thought it too simple and common, easy for anyone to do.

I like Engineering with a passion, ironically to most people since im a female but I do. I took an Engineering class and I like calulating the velocity and using fomulas to figure out the estimated distance a car will travel before the brakes lock up and it proceeds to slow down... <--something like that, something involving engineering...

Mechanical Engineering is a broad area that can deal with materials, physics, thermodynamics, and their interactions. Bioengineering often involves combinations of mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering.

Mechanical Engineering is more broad but i think i would rather do a project favoring that than biotechnology...

[Simplistic]

I am not sure if I made it any easier or helped in defining my question but i hope so...

[Louise]

I am not sure if I made it any easier or helped in defining my question but i hope so...

Well, did what Craig and I said help any? Read what we wrote again, and then think of a problem that interests you. Your interests are very broad, and it is hard for us to help you. As I mentioned, I know most about biophysics, which is why I used a very bio-y problem. Look around. Find something that works (or doesn't work)... identify what the weaknesses are, and then develope a testing protocol. We can help with that part, but the core idea needs to come from you (and you'll have more fun doing a project that you are passionate about, rather than executing an idea someone else generated).

Were any of the biotech projects interesting to you?

If you want to do something like the marble project, then you should think about how this could be a "test bed" for a larger project. For example, obviously the friction of the material will effect the distance the ball travels. And you wouldn't need to do a marble either... So, can you relate this to some sort of interesting problem?

Louise

[deleted-71588]

am interested in Engineering as such, Robotics (Mechanical), Bridges or Cars(Civil) and Biomedical Engineering.

Great breadth of interests is good and can make for a long and interesting carrear for an engineer, but it does make it more difficult to pick which way to go first!

Mechanical Engineering is more broad but i think i would rather do a project favoring that

Ok, now tell us some more about some of your skills and your parents skills. Have you ever done any "shop" activities? Woodworking, taking things apart and "fixing" them? If those things don't interest you, don't be bashful, let us know that too. Lots of good mechanical engineers couldn't go out in a shop and make anything. Knowing what you can do and/or would like to do will help us figure out what to suggest as possibilities.

[sam b yar]

hey this sam and let me just tell you that i did the same project and won the science fair wid it