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.