AARON HEO PERIOD 6. Which combination will allow a car to travel faster around a track?

Science Fair 2013AARON HEOPERIOD 6

Question

Which combination will allow a car to travel

faster around a track?

HypothesisThe combination with three wheels and no rubber on the front wheel will complete a lap in the shortest amount of time.

Materials• Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit (Lego.com)

• Computer (home)

• Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Program (CD that is included)

• Stopwatch (home)

Variables: Independent1. Number of wheels

2. Rubber on the front wheels

Variables: Dependent1. Time it takes to complete a lap

Procedure1. First, download the programming software off of the CD provided in the kit.

2. Use the pieces provided in the Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit to build a body for the car.

3. Use the motors included in the kit and add four wheels, using rubber, to the body.

4. Add the color/light sensor to the design of the car (the closer it is to the floor, the better).

5. Create a program that will make the robot car travel around the black line on the mat (included in

the kit) using the Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Program.

6. Connect the Microcomputer Brick to your computer using the wire that was included in the kit.

7. Download the programming you have done into the Microcomputer Brick.

8. Test the programming you have created and see if the robot can successfully complete one lap

around the mat with the black track.

9. If it does not fully complete a lap in less than five minutes make some changes to your car or the

programming.

10. Place your car where it says start and time how long it takes to complete one lap

11. Once, finished record your time in the table (in seconds).

The Test Track

Diagram

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. Light/Color sensor2. Microbrick computer

(brain)3. Motors4. Wheels

Combinations

Four Wheelswith Rubber

Three Wheelsno Rubber

Three Wheelswith Rubber

Four Wheelsno Rubber

Table

  4 WheelsWith Rubber

4 WheelsWithout Rubber

3 WheelsWith Rubber

3 WheelsWithoutRubber

Test Run #1 194 seconds 26 seconds 123 seconds 30 seconds

Test Run #2 192 seconds 28 seconds 135 seconds 31 seconds

Test Run #3 194 seconds 29 seconds 155 seconds 32 seconds

Average 193.3 seconds 27.6 seconds 132.6 seconds 31 seconds

Graph

1 2 3 Average0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Time (in seconds) it Takes for Each Combi-nation to complete a lap

4 wheels…With Rubber4 wheels…Without Rubber3 wheels…With Rubber3 wheels…Without Rubber

TrialTim

e it

takes t

he c

ar

to c

om

ble

te a

lap (

in s

econds)

Data Conclusions• Slowest – 4 wheels…rubber

• Fastest – 4 wheels…no rubber

• Rubber really increased the times• Due to friction