Project Information:
May I have some more, please? Some more, what? Some more, s’mores? The word s’more is actually a contraction of the phrase “some more.” A s'more is a marshmallow that has been roasted over a fire then put between two graham crackers with a layer of chocolate. Made popular by scouts across the United States, s’mores are traditionally a nighttime campfire treat. In order to make a s’more, energy must be transferred between a heat source and the marshmallow and the marshmallow to the chocolate.
You are faced with the challenge of forming an engineering and design team in order to create a device to transfer energy to make a s’more. Your team will apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that maximizes thermal energy transfer. You will be competing with other groups in your class to design and construct a device that generates the greatest amount of heat in the shortest amount of time. Your goal: be the first to melt the chocolate in your S’more! |
|
Design Specifications:
Provided Supplies:
- The device must have a “footprint” of no more than 40 cm x 40 cm. (You must be able to store it between uses in Mrs. Munn's cupboards)
- Maximize the air temperature inside the device within 10 minutes.
- The food may not directly touch the bottom of the device.
- Your device can not get within 6 inches of the light in any direction and the S'more should be at least 12 inches from the light.
- Your device should be sized to cook 1 s'more at a time and it needs a small door so you can put in and take out your s'mores
Provided Supplies:
- Aluminum Foil
- Masking Tape
- Plastic Wrap
- Black Paper
The following must be included in your final graded product:
- A description of how heat is transferred from an original energy source (no open flames) and through your device.
- A description of the ability for the device to maximize the transfer of thermal energy (how hot the device gets and the amount of time it takes to heat up).
- A description of how the kinetic energy of the materials changes as energy is transferred to the system.
- A comparison of your device’s energy efficiency between groups (comparing temperature and time to heat).
- The design plans for the original prototype.
- An explanation of any changes made to your device over the course of the project. Use scientific evidence and reasoning to justify the changes made to your device.