Inventions Abstract
Archimedes' Screw.pdf Construct a working model of Archimedes' screw device to raise granular material with minimal effort. (Includes historical information.)
Beam and Box.pdf Construct and test beams and box sections used in construction to support a load above an opening. (Includes historical information.)
Braille.pdf Use the Braille system of raised dots to compose a message for visually impaired people. (Includes historical information.)
Cantilever Bridge.pdf Construct a model of a cantilever bridge and discover how the forces of compression and tension work to support it. (Includes historical information.)
Catapult.pdf Construct a catapult and determine how the size and angle of release affect the trajectory of a projectile. (Includes historical information.)
Door Lock.pdf Create a working model of a lever door lock and key. (Includes historical information.)
Electrocope.pdf Construct and use an electroscope to detect and investigate static electricity. (Includes historical information.)
Electroplating.pdf Construct an electroplating device capable of using electricity to plate a key with a layer of copper. Compare experimental results with Faraday's laws of electrolysis. (Includes historical information.)
Flywheel.pdf Construct a flywheel to demonstrate its ability to store and conserve energy. (Includes historical information.)
Gears.pdf Discover how gears of multiple sizes are capable of transmitting rotational power and affecting mechanical advantage. (Includes historical information.)
Geodesic Dome.pdf Construct two different types of geodesic domes and compare their physical properties. (Includes historical information.)
Gyroscope.pdf Construct a hand-held gyroscope and discover how and why it resists motion to maintain a stable position. (Includes historical information.)
Hovercraft.pdf Construct a model of a hovercraft using a Stryofoamª tray and a balloon. (Includes historical information.)
Levers.pdf Investigate how changing the position of a simple lever's fulcrum alters the effort necessary to lift a load. (Includes historical information.)
Leyden Jar.pdf Construct a Leyden jar and use it to store static electricity. (Includes historical information.)
Nylon.pdf Use a simple chemical reaction to create a piece of nylon thread and test its elastic properties. (Includes historical information.)
Parachute.pdf Construct parachutes to understand the concept of drag and its relationship to rate of descent. (Includes historical information.)
Periscope.pdf Construct a periscope capable of looking around or over an object. (Includes historical information.)
Pinhole Camera.pdf Construct a pinhole camera using a coffee can and wax paper to observe an image demonstrating the principle of camera obscura. (Includes historical information.)
Plimsoll Line.pdf Construct a model of a Plimsoll line (a ship's load line) to discover how it allows a ship to remain buoyant in different water densities. (Includes historical information.)
Pulleys.pdf Discover the ability of pulleys to reduce the amount of effort when moving a load. (Includes historical information.)
Rollers_Wheels.pdf Investigate how rollers and wheels move objects by overcoming the force of friction. (Includes historical information.)
Siphon.pdf Construct a siphon and investigate the relationship between the siphoning rate and height of the tube. (Includes historical information.)
Steam Turbine.pdf Construct a working model of a steam turbine to demonstrate how it generates power. (Includes historical information.)
Telephone.pdf Construct a rudimentary working model of a telephone to demonstrate how speech is transmitted through wires and how the carbon microphone in a telephone's mouth piece operates. (Includes historical information.)
Transformer.pdf Construct a working model of a transformer and use it to change the voltage of an alternating current. (Includes historical information.)
Universal Joint.pdf Construct a universal mechanical joint to demonstrate how it transmits power and movement between two shafts at angles to one another. (Includes historical information.)