Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Planning and Create Egg Contraption

Egg Contraption
Our objective was clear; to make a contraption using eight straws and two feet tape so the egg does not break when dropped from 10 feet high. Also there was a pair of scissors for all the groups. Actually we have developed two plans. One plan was mine: I proposed to wrap half of the egg (the bottom half which will hit the ground) with the tape as an extra layer, and make a bed like bottom with shock absorber legs. I was not 100 percent sure if my plan would work (how to implement my ideas). So I did not push my group members to peruse it. Another member of our group proposed a plan which included wrapping half of the egg by tape (adapted from my plan) and to make a circular nest with seven of the straws and use one straw to circle the egg vertically. Most of our group member agreed that the second plan was better. So we decided to implement the latter plan. We divided the job among all of us. My part was to get the scissors to cut the straws, which I miserably failed because who had the scissors refused to let me cut the straws! So, one member of our group cut the straws with a key. However, I wrapped the half (bottom half) of the egg with tape which side will hit the ground. Another member sketched the plan and gave a name of our egg. Other two members helped the member, who proposed the second plan, to create the nest. But it did not work out as we wished. We used so much tape on the circular nest which made it heavy. I think that was one of the reasons our egg cracked. When I went to the front to drop the egg from ten feet high I had a feeling that it will crack. So, my hand started shaking when I dropped the egg and it cracked a bit. Frankly, there was no time to take corrective actions. Some resources were scarce; only one pair of scissors. Some people did not play right! They refused to share the scissors while I could cut the straws in ten seconds. However, I think we were not as enthusiastic as the other groups were, but we worked well as a group (although, our egg cracked).

Saturday, September 6, 2008