Week Nine

Week Nine: Materials McGuyver

During the final week, our group put together the final presentation, final paper, and a poster showcasing our research and work. Our group was nominated to present a poster depicting our design project to the College of Engineering staff and faculty as well as the public. This presentation will be held in the Bossone Main Lobby this week; each of the nine groups presenting will be judged and then subjected to voting. 

We have recorded heating times with the induction heating method and found that this particular method is inefficient and untimely when compared to the butane torch method. Therefore, we have decided to go with the butane torch to heat the ball and stick model; this was the last change made to the demonstrators. We will still have to make a few minor adjustments to our final paper before we submit it Monday night, but those will not take long.

We will also be practicing our presentation for Tuesday during our lab time just to figure out who will be explaining what slide and who will be helping set up the demonstrations. According to our Gantt chart, we are right on time with our design project and will be finished with ENGR 103 this week, after we present on Thursday. Our group is very excited to present our research and project and we all hope that it goes well.

Week Eight

Week Eight: Materials McGuyver

The last adjustment to the three demonstrators will be done tomorrow during lab. We will be testing the electric current heating method against the butane torch heating method -- the data for the butane torch has already been collected. The two main factors to be taken into consideration when deciding a heating method are safety and efficiency. While the butane torch heats faster, it is less safe to have in a crowded environment like an expo, and will be difficult to cool down once heated. The electric current method is predicted to take longer, but will overall be safer to perform. 

This past week the final paper was edited with the comments left by Dr. Knight and a few more tests were done. The heating time and temperature of the water bottle demonstrator were recorded this week. This was especially difficult because of the diverse thermal gradient -- it was hard to get an accurate temperature within the one-liter bottle because the heat spread through the bottle at different speeds. However, averages were taken and the demonstrator has been finalized.

The last things left to do besides test the brass ball and hoop demonstrator are to edit and review the final paper, draft a short powerpoint presentation, and book an open viewing room for our presentation. After this next week, all testing of the demonstrators will be finished, the three informational sheets will be edited, and a powerpoint presentation will be made. Our group is right on time according to our Gantt chart and will be finished soon.

Week Seven

Week Seven: Materials McGuyver

This week is an in between week as we finalize the last demonstrator, the brass ball and hoop model, and start on the final drafted paper and presentation. The water bottle demonstration and the atomic structure model have been drafted and created; the last thing left to do is test the electric current on the brass ball and hoop model against butane torch heating to figure out which is more time-efficient. While the butane torch would be more dangerous, it is more timely and reliable than the induction heating method that was considered earlier. We will not resort to the open flame approach unless our group has to -- the induction heating method will be tested later this week, seeing as the coil has to be rewound to fit the brass ball.

The informational sheets have been increased to three; one for each demonstration. They are also almost finished, and will be completed during lab time this week and printed at a later date. This week the first draft of the final paper was due; a link to view it can be found at the bottom of this post. The project is almost finished and has come together nicely; the PowerPoint presentation will be started this week during lab as well and we will have to start looking into booking a room on campus open to the public to present our design project.


Click here to view the finished first draft of the final paper!

Week Six

Week Six: Materials McGuyver

All of the materials for the adjustments to our project were acquired and are now being put together to form the three demonstrators. We are still unsure of how to use the electric current to heat the brass ball and hoop model; if all else fails we will have to use an open flame from a blow torch, but that is the very last resort. The liquid water demonstrator was updated to better its efficiency; the cap was replaced with a rubber stopper, and the straw will now be a pipet. These adjustments will limit the amount of air trapped in the bottle, if any at all, and give a clearer visual for the demonstration.

Figure 1: Above: The brass ball and hoop model is heated with an open flame

We have decided to add three informational sheets for each of the experiments. The first informational sheet will be an in-depth explanation of the brass ball and hoop model; it will include the set-up, materials needed, instructions for the experiment, and what is happening on a scientific level to the atoms of the brass ball as it is heated. The liquid water demonstrator will have a similar informational sheet with the corresponding subject matter. The purpose of these sheets is to provide a specific scientific explanation for each visual demonstration, and instructions on how to perform the experiment at home. The third will include brief instructions on how to build an atomic structure model and prompt the audience with conceptual questions; the structure of the sheet will be almost identical to the two described above.

Week Five Post

Week Five: Materials McGuyver

This past week, we continued testing our demonstrators and started constructing finished products. The model for the atomic structure of a metal undergoing thermal expansion will be finished this week; more springs of varying tensions will have to be acquired, but the overall effect with be worthwhile when explaining how atoms increase and decrease in size when subjected to different temperatures.

We are still trying to ground and modify the brass ball and hoop model; the induction heating coil has been ordered and will be tested this week during lab in the MakerSpace. The pipette for the water bottle demonstrator will also be ready for lab this week and tested on Tuesday. Our biggest topic of interest this week is to figure out how to mount the brass ball and hoop model onto a grounded structure that both holds up the brass ball and conducts the added heat so the apparatus is safe to use. We will also have to modify the diameter of the coil to fit the brass ball. 

Week Four Post

Week Four: Materials McGuyver

This week in lab, the rest of the demonstrators were finalized and testing them continued. The balloon demonstrator was finally cut from the project; it provided no real educational purpose to the explanation of thermal expansion and only helped with the visual appeal.

We also decided on a different approach to heating the brass ball and hoop model. Instead of using an open flame, Dr. Knight recommended that we use an electric current so the brass ball heats from the inside out and effectively expand the ball. We are now looking into using a small resistance heating unit to heat the brass ball; we are hoping to either build one ourselves or use materials from the Innovation Studio. Mark calculated that we will need at least 280 degrees Fahrenheit to expand the brass ball enough to get it stuck within the hoop. The calculations and the equations used will be displayed on the website at a later date.

All other aspects of the website are up and running besides the rest of the blog posts for each week. By the end of next week our group should have both the metal and liquid demonstrators together, as well as a rough rendition of the model on an atomic level.

Week Three Post

Week Three: Materials McGuyver

This week, we started testing out the materials we ordered for our demonstrators and found a few complications. It will be a little challenging to form a model of thermal expansion using foam balls and springs, but it will be harder to find springs of varying tensions that are big enough to effectively display the effects. We also were able to test the brass ball and hoop model we ordered for the demonstration of a metal's thermal expansion.

The testing of the brass ball and hoop model was a little tricky; we had to use three different heat sources before the ball expanded, effectively getting stuck in the hoop. We first tried a hot air gun, and then a small hand torch, before finally using an actual blow torch that quickly heated up the brass ball. We will have to consult with our advisors when deciding what we can and cannot use to heat the demonstration; the experiment requires an open flame which could be dangerous, so we will have to either get an approval or find an alternative source of heat.

According to our Gantt Chart and Project Timeline, we are a little ahead of schedule. We have already started testing our demonstrators, which is good, but we still have not decided if we are keeping the balloon demonstration for our project or not. The hardest part of it will be obtaining dry ice that can be kept for a long period of time. Dr. Knight suggested that we look into investing in liquid nitrogen; hopefully we will be able to get Mr. Burks opinion on which would be easier to purchase and maintain.