Lesson 38 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopEngineering Constraints and Criteria (Part 2)
Engineering and Design.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Constraints make you more creative, not less.
Mind = Blown
🌉 The Eiffel Tower can grow 6 inches taller in summer because metal expands when hot.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you test: how many tries until it works?
What You'll Learn
Engineers must consider constraints (limitations like cost, time, and materials) and criteria (requirements the solution must meet) when designing solutions to problems.
Key Words
- constraint
- criteria
- test
Materials Needed
- straws
- paper clips
- rubber bands
- string
Safety First
- Protect your work surface with newspaper or plastic.
- Adult supervision recommended.
- Do not taste any materials.
Steps
Read about Engineering and Design and write down three key facts.
Conduct a design challenge: build a car powered only by a balloon. Measure how far it travels and iterate on your design at least twice.
Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.
Create a data table to organize your measurements.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is peer review?
Where you see this in real life
Your phone, your bike, your shoes — all designed with this idea.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Build something — anything — out of stuff in your recycling bin.
For the dinner table
“What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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