Final Day of bridge

Today is the day of our final. We have most people outside. A lot of people are in the water. The goal is to finish the bridge, and make it sturdy. They are in the water trying to make it stay up.  Mr. Joslin is eventually going to attempt to walk across it, and hopefully not fall in. Mike Ryan and Hayden have been in the water. Marcel, Dempsey, and Nikita are working on construction/design.

Building a Bridge Day 4

Today is officially the last class that we will be working on the 100ft bridge across the pond. Though we will be working on it on monday today we should accomplish a lot we should be able to get 30ft into the pond by adding trapezoid number 5 and 6. After every day of building we test the bridge to see if it will break, and we also test the sturdiness of the bridge. The main goal is to get this bridge across the pond. We are also writing down last minute supplies for Mr. Joslin to go get at the hard ware store.

There was a bit of a mishap today. we were able to successfully get the fourth trapezoid added on to the bridge. The 5th one was attached but then snapped. I think it was because the wood was split. Students will show up at a review session on saturday at 9:00 am to discuss and potentially finding a way to make this bridge work.

Build A Bridge Progress Report #5 (D Block)

Today was our very last class day to make it, the next time we meet we will be putting the bridge in the water and Mr.Joslin will walk on it. We started to assemble the bridge as well as we finished making the deck. We have not baught anything new but are looking to see hw much 4 cargo straps cost. 

Mr joslin walked acrossed the bridge with no problem. The only thing that we have left is to put it all together. 

Day 3: F block

Today we are doing a few different things. A few people are outside measuring the pond every five feet to get a better sense of what we are working with. Borghi went kayaking to the middle of the pond in order to seek the depth of the pond. Danny, with the help of others, is building 20 trapezoids out of wood. Each one he makes must be bigger than the one he made before it. We are planning to line the trapezoids up, and then put wood over them. They are suppose to make the bridge sturdy. We pretty much devoted the whole class time today to building these 20 trapezoids. There is a lot of sawing and screwing included into today. We were able to get the third and fourth trapezoids into he pond covering about 20 feet leaving us with 16 more to go. The 20 foot bridge was tested and walked on by Ellis. The sturdiness of the bridge was better than before and the class is determined to get this bridge across the floor.









Dori and Marcel

Building A Bridge Progress Report #4 (D Block)

Today we finished making the 10 frames with the wood going acrossed it to walk and started to put the slats together. Mr.Joslin went to the hardware store and got plywood, screws, and some more wood. Kate Levusque also supplied us with 9 more straps which means we only need 2 more.

Today we started to construct the bridge sagment that will be the spam of the bridge. We will have to make 11 of these. The goal is to have this built by Friday. 

Building a Bridge: Progress Report #3 (D block)

Today we were able to build the remaining frames and manipulate the materials we already possessed; so far, we are succeeding in staying within the budget.

We were able to use free materials thanks to donations from Mr. Shackett, Mr. Mundahl and Mr. Joslin himself. This is what we were able to collect. 

Building A Bridge: Day 2: F block

Today is day two of the Building a Bridge project. From last class we have learned that our original design of the pier bridge and the floating bridge together are not going to fully function. So during the start of todays class we altered the design a little for the shallow portion of the bridge. This new design consist of a trapezoid that will act as a support system for the plank that we will put on top. In order to do that We will then build another trapezoid, one that accommodates the depth of the pond. The planks that lay on top of the trapezoids will prevent the trapezoid from swinging back and forth.

The first trapezoid has a base of 3'x10" the two legs are 2'x3" and the top spans 10" (1x4 wood)



We were able to build a prototype for the bridge that was successful the next thing that we have to do is think of a way to make it more sturdy we can make it. using thicker wood and etc.

Building a Bridge: Progress Report #2 (D block)

After some hard work we were able to improve significantly the stability of a single module, by adding two barrels and creating a new frame system.

The results are excellent, and we are now ready to enter the final construction phase, meaning we will collect materials and build the remaining modules.

A new challenge we have encountered is the price: this kind of design led us to an estimated price of nearly $200. Now we will have to look for low cost and/or free materials around campus, and try not to rely on purchasing from websites.

Building a Bridge: Introduction and Progress Report #1 (D block)

Mr. Joslin's Applied Physics D and F Block classes have been challenged to complete a whole new project: building a modular bridge across a 100-feet pond. Our budget is 200$ in total, so we will try to use as many free materials as possible and create the cheapest design, finding and purchasing the least expensive materials. The project's goal is to allow Mr. Joslin to safely walk across the pond, from the ARC to the lawn, whitout getting wet (and we recommend you to be there during the final exam, because there's the chance of an unexpected plunge!).

The project started with group brainstorming: the class was divided into groups of two, with the task to create two concepts each and then compare them with the rest of the class; at the end of the first week, we decided for a barrel-based, floating design. We were able to purchase 20 55-gallon waterproof barrels for 50$, and on Monday created the first prototype of a module: a 5-feet design, composed by two barrels connected by a wooden frame.

The first challenge we encountered was stability: because of the small width of the frame and the difficulty to center it on the barrels, a person walking on it would cause the whole section to tilt and eventually capsize.

Bridge Blog day one

Our Physics class is planning to build a bridge across the pond. As a class, we must meet specific design parameters. We are all assigned a job. If we all do our part and are successful in our jobs, our bridge will work. Each day, I will be writing and posting pictures in our blog to update people on our progress. So, in order to make this bridge correctly, we have some big rules to follow. Our budget is $200, not a penny more. In order to stay within this budget, we will use as much free resources on campus as we can. For items that can't be found on campus, we will go to a local Hardware store. The bridge itself should cross the whole width of the pond, but if that is not possible, it must at least cross a portion of the pond. Luckily, the bridge does not have to hold up the whole class as we walk on it. It only needs to hold our teacher, Mr. Joslin. He needs to be able to walk across without getting his feet wet. The bridge needs to at least have a 1.5 foot width. And lastly, the bridge can only be designed by using modular elements that can connect together. Once we finish building the bridge, we are still not done. Each individual student will write a design report on the project. This report will need to be detailed. It will include a summary, introduction, the design, and the appendices. Stay posted for more progress.

Here is a picture of wood that we are using to hold up the bridge.

Here is a picture of Dempsey and Hayden walking to the pond to work on the Bridge:

Budget spreadsheet

Journal entry week 1 spring term

1. Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead?      I am still happy w/ my project because I am still determined to have the rewarding outcome of making a functional rc boat.
2. What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level?   What is an obstinate right now finding out how the properties of buoyancy will effect my boat and figuring out how to much weight the boat will need to hold.
3.  How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentations?    I think that, working for a full class of 15% time will really give us the time to get into what we are doing and accomplish a lot more than if we broke the time up into smaller portions.

Journal Entry Week 1 Spring

What are you doing?

          My project is an RC boat.  I am going to build a fan boat out of wood and seal the bottom with flex seal to make it water proof.  I am then going to put fan blades and a motor on it.  My end goal is that it will be fully remote controlled and have a speed controller as well as a direction option of straight, turn right and turn left.

       
Why are you doing it?

          I am doing this project because I enjoy building toys and the satisfaction you get when it works and is controllable.  I also think that there are some good challenging obstacles that i can work around such as, building a structurally sound boat that can hold a set amount of weight, learning the mechanics behind some mechanical engineering and how revivers and signals work.


What does this help you to so that is important?

          This project helps me to think in a way that i have not before and challenge my mind in a new field of work that i have had little experience with.  I also understand that it may not be all that easy to achieve all that i want and this will help me in the future to realize what is a rational goal and how productive i can be under certain circumstances.

Journal Entry Week 1 Spring Term

Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead.

Yes, although I am finding it takes a more complicated setup to build than I thought.  But it is still possible.

What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level?

Probably an instruction manual.  I also need a new supplies list.

How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentations? 

I would give us more time to work on it in class however possible.  I might want the journals to be more spread out as well.

Journal Entry Week One Spring Term m

1. Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead? To be completely honest, I am still happy with my project. Even though I haven't worked on it in a while, I am still confident I can still finish my project with no problem. I have collected most of my materials, but I think the hardest part will be assembling the pieces. 
2. What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level? My biggest problem so far is making my first step forward in actually building the frame. I need to cut the sticks into the right dimensions so I can then assemble them. I don't think we have had enough class time to work on the project. I also think that we should work on it in classes back to back instead of once per week so we can be more efficient and productive. 

1. How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentation? I think we should work on it in classes back to back so we can be more productive and left off where we started with the information fresh in our minds. I also thi journal entries should be every 2 times we work on it in class so we can actually write anout progress. 

Journal Entry Week 1 Spring

Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead. 

I have mixed emotions about my project. I feel like I am over my head and don't really know what to do next. I wish there were instructions to follow but I can't seem to find any. If I were to change my project I wouldn't know what to do and i feel like it's to late to switch because I already ordered some parts of my blimp. 

What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level? 

A roadblock I have is that I don't know what comes next. I am unclear on what materials I need and how to make the engines run. 

How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentations?

I think that we should do journal entries after every 2 class periods we have to work on the project. This way there is enough time to make enough progress to actually write about it. Maybe have projects after every six classes or so because I feel if people aren't getting a lot done then are grades are just going to drop significantly. 

Journal entry week 1 Spring

1. Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead.
2. What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level?
3. How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentations? 

1. I am happy with my project choice and do not want to change it. I am also already invested and committed to it. 

2. Right now the biggest thing keeping me from progressing my project is painting. I haven't been able to get the supplies and tools I need to paint the body and neck of the guitar, which is important because it has to be done before anything can be put together. 

3. I would like less journal entries, less if not no presentations, and more time to work on my project in class. 

Journal week 1

1. I am still happy with my project I think I may have chosen a challenging one but none the less I am happy.

2. A major road block for me is I'm at a stand still and don't really know what to do next. This is the reason I can't move forward with my project.

3. I think that we should use a small amount of class once a week like we did in the fall semester and completely cut out presentations from. The class over all.

Journal Entry Week 1 Spring Term

1. Are you still happy with your project choice? Why or why not? If you are not, what would you like to do instead.
2. What are the major roadblocks to your project right now? What is preventing you from taking your project to the next level?
3. How would you like to change the structure of the 15% Time project? Journal entries, work time in class, presentations? 

1. I am not disappointed in my project choice. But im not entirely happy with the project choice. I would like to alter some things, but I still want to have the same concept. I just want to change the goal in which this project is headed.

2. One of the major roadblocks to my project is that I don't really know what I want to do next or where to go with it. I would love to get to the actual building of my project but I see that it will be a while before I get there.

3.) Maybe a small amount of time in class(once a week), maybe once every two weeks for journal entries. Also i'm not to fond of the presentations I think it should be saved for the final product of the project. And  

Journal Entry 1: spring term

1.  I am no longer happy with my project choice, because I have discovered how to use the tools in vector works the way I wanted to use them. If I could change my project I would go to my second choice from day one, which is learning how to code using C++
2.   my major road block is the fact that i have completed what I wanted to much sooner then I expected. This is why i believe changing my project would be the best option. 
3. I believe the structure of the project should remain where it is. I see no problems with it.