Lego Cars
This page features two separate projects - a slow Lego car, and a hill-climbing Lego car. Both of these cars operate with an engine and a mechanical system. All parts used in both projects were part of the Lego Education Kit. Each project was done with a different partner.
Slow Car
The Slow Car project had to cover six inches on a flat surface in the longest amount of time compared to others in the class. If it stopped moving or started to drag instead of roll, it was disqualified. The grading of this project was based solely on how slowly it completed the six inches.
Before this project, the class had briefly discussed gear ratios and mechanical advantage. Knowing basic rotational kinematics from my physics class, I knew I had to use a small-to-large gear setup to create the slowest output motion possible. My partner and I built the car shown to the left, and we received full points because our car was the slowest in the class. Our final gear ratio was 16,200:1. No other group in our class had a higher ratio.
My take-away from this project was learning about gear ratios and how they affect mechanical systems. The gear ratio is calculated by dividing the number of driven gear teeth by the number of driver gear teeth. If two gears are connected on an axle, then the gear ratios for each of those gears are multiplied together. Because my partner and I knew how to use gear ratios to our advantage, we were able to win the slowest race.
My take-away from this project was learning about gear ratios and how they affect mechanical systems. The gear ratio is calculated by dividing the number of driven gear teeth by the number of driver gear teeth. If two gears are connected on an axle, then the gear ratios for each of those gears are multiplied together. Because my partner and I knew how to use gear ratios to our advantage, we were able to win the slowest race.
Hill Climb Car
The Hill Climb Car had to roll up a ten-foot ramp inclined at about 45 degrees. It had to roll on its own, with no outside assistance. The cars were not only supposed to make it up the ramp, but also had to go as fast as possible. There were two lanes built on the ramp, so each group could race their car against another. Each person was with a different partner for this project than the previous Lego car project.
For this project, my partner and I tested many different mechanical systems. None of the systems we tested were able to move the car up the ramp. We ended up running out of time to work on the project, because nothing that we tried was able to move the car up the ramp. Shown on the left is the sketch of a pulley system that we had tested.
My take-away from this project was the importance of using other people's knowledge as a resource. My partner and I struggled with this project, but by asking others what was working for them and asking those with previous experience in the class, we were able to get as close as we did to success.
My take-away from this project was the importance of using other people's knowledge as a resource. My partner and I struggled with this project, but by asking others what was working for them and asking those with previous experience in the class, we were able to get as close as we did to success.
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