Torrey and Wilson Present 3D Printer Information to Sixth Graders

Eureka Jr. Sr. High School seniors and Invena employees, Connor Torrey and Paul Wilson, presented a lesson on 3D printing to the sixth grade technology classes on Friday, January 24^th.   

Wilson and Torrey shared 3D models they designed with computer aided drafting software and then used the printer to create plastic versions of their designs.  One of the favorites was a pyramid model that the boys designed and then printed so that each student had an example to keep.

According to the presenters, 3D printing is a field that has the potential for significant changes in the materials used to produce everything from the foundations of buildings to lighter airplanes.   The process was explained to the students as being efficient and producing less waste than the amount of waste that is produced with present manufacturing processes.   
The presenters also relayed that the technology is so new that it has taken problem solving skills and persistence for them to attain success with it.

Forbes Magazine has listed 3D technology as one of five technology trends to watch in 2014 because manufacturers hope to make their products closer to home, and with greater customization. 

Torrey and Wilson’s parting advice to the sixth graders was to keep trying, even when the problems seem too hard to solve.

        

“This boat is unsinkable!” exclaimed the captain of the Titanic. “This boat is made of steel!” replied the shipbuilder.

In their investigation over the displacement of matter, sixth grade science students tested matter to see if its shape affected its volume. 

Students used a marble, foil ball, and clay ball to initiate the investigation.

They measured the circumference in centimeters, the mass in grams, the weight in newtons, and the volume of each ball in cubic centimeters.

Keeping the marble as the control, students reshaped the balls of clay and foil into boat shaped objects.  The results predicted were that even if the mass did not change, the boat shape would float while the ball shape would sink.  The students noticed a change in volume when the matter was reshaped.  The volume increased.

Archimedes was regarded as one of the leading scientists in Ancient Greece.  His theory was,

     "an object that is placed in fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object."  

 Since more water was displaced with the boat shape, more upward force was experienced, and the matter floated.

Students concluded that the increase in volume had to have come from the addition of air that the boat shaped matter held.   These results were seen with both the clay and foil.

Archimedes was also a mathematician.   He believed that the results had to be proven with math.  The formula he used was Density, D is equal to the Mass,M  of the object divided by the Volume,V.  D=M/V

If the answer is less than 1.0, the object should float because the density of  water is 1.0.

Studying the Characteristics of Matter - A Partnership Between Math, Science & Technology

          As sixth graders tackled the understanding of atoms, the smallest unit of an element, they learned that computer simulations can help them to understand things that are too small to manipulate.  The PHET, State of Matter Simulation,  helped the students draw the conclusion that as heat is added to matter, the atoms increase in kinetic energy and move away from each other in space.  When heat is taken away, the atoms slow down and converge closer together. 
         The simulation introduced another measurement scale used by physical scientists to measure energy.  Kinetic energy is measured with Kelvin units.  This scale can show absolute 0 which is when the atoms have no kinetic energy. 
         Also, while studying the characteristics of matter, students learned to apply the measurement formulas they have learned in math.  Matter can be measured in mass, volume, and density.
The formulas applied easily to regular shapes.  Students had to use displacement of water to find the volume of irregular shapes. Students were able to record and analyze results using graphs generated from Excel software.