1. HOW TO CREATE AN EXPERIMENT

2. What is the first thing you do? • Get a logbook! • Number every right hand page. • On first page identify the writer, school, subject and date the book was started. • Everything that is related to the subject goes in this logbook. • The benefits are; • not repeating mistakes, • having all the data available when writing the necessary reports.

3. What is an experiment? • A series of tests or procedures to answer a question or achieve an objective (product).

4. The Objectives • Research the subject. Become knowledgeable before you frame a question or set an objective. • List all the questions you can’t answer in a logical sequence. They lead to the idea you want to prove or the product you want to develop. • Overall Objective: Design and produce a windmill that will lift a weight 75 cm and pull a vehicle 250 cm. in less than 1 min. each.

5. Objectives(cont’d) • Break large objectives into small pieces. • Specific Objective: Design and construct turbine blades that, when powered by a Lasco 20” #3733 fan 75 cm from the windmill, will enable the windmill to: • Lift 700g 75 cm • In less than 20 sec.

6. Planning the Experiment • Select the variables. • Independent= Those things you set or control • Dependent= The results. • Control= Reference= known results • Windmill • Indep.= Blade materials, angle, number, shape • Depend= Time, weight then calculated to “power”.

7. Planning (Cont’d) • Select the conditions. Materials, equipment, facilities, personnel, accessories, etc. • Prepare the notebook- All experiments must be recorded as they occur. Every change, observation and data point must be recorded. • Enter the starting procedure step by step. • Plan for the changes in the independent var. • Prepare a data table. • Conduct the experiment and record the data in real time.

8. EXPERIMENTS • Standard is the “One Factor at a Time” method. • Fix all variables except one. • Change it to several different settings and run a test at each one-collecting the results. • Fix this variable at its best value and…. • Change another independent variable and change and test that one the same way. • Continue with other variables until all are done. • Confirm the result by retesting the first variable.

10. Analyzing the DataUse graphs, charts, tables

11. Results and Conclusions • Answer the ‘question’ or meet the ‘objectives’? • YES then test it several times to confirm. • NO then redo after making changes.

13. Now it’s your turn! • Build a paper rocket and launch it with a straw. The one flying longest distance wins. • The directions, courtesy of NASA, will be handed out. • Go to it

14. Presented by • David Braunstein • Academic Coordinator-CSULB MSP • dbraunst@csulb.edu • Blades and graph from Hudson MS WEC Report • Other Photos by DB