Tag Archives: Engineering

The Amazing Transportation System

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My group has finished the ask,imagine,plan, and create stages and now we are on the improve stage.The improvements that I made to the train were improving the design and also improving the track. We improved the track by taking out the middle strip because we couldn’t fit two rows of ring magnets in between on strip magnet in the middle and one on each side of the box. So we took out the middle strip magnet so that we could fit two rows of strip magnets.

Our groups final train and track were had two strip magnets on each side because we had a problem with the magnets earlier. The problem was that the magnets were not facing the same sides and poles so we tried to fix it but we ran out of time so our final design was the strip magnets. The final design of our transportation system was less complicated and less hard to build but it did cary marbles and miss badurski said that if it carried at least a marble, and it still levitated, it would count as being successful, our group carried eight marbles.

I learned from the process that it is okay to mess up because you can always improve the design and you can always make it better. I learned that maglev trains levitate and can go very fast. I learned that the E D P helps you build the transportation system and help improve a design if you need to. When you work in a group, everyone has ideas for building the transportation system. More ideas, the better.

Making A Maglev Transportation System

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I have completed the ask, imagine, plan, create and now I am on the improve station. I made a few improvements, I made a final track and I learned a lot from this process.

One of the few improvements was that we  needed 3 long strip magnets and three short strip magnets. For the track I lined up 1 long strip magnet at both of the edges of the box, and 1 long strip magnet in the middle of the box. For the vehicle we needed three short strip magnets. 1 short strip magnet on the both edges of the vehicle and 1 short strip magnet in the middle of the vehicle. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. We realized that it didn’t work because, the middle magnet on the track was not exactly lined up with the other middle magnet on the vehicle. Which caused it not to levitate.

The final vehicle and track was easy to make. But it didn’t come to us for a very long time.  My final track needed 2 long strips and 2 short strips. For the final track, I needed to put 2 long strips on both edges of the track. So for the vehicle I used 2 short strips on the sides to match. Then I tested it out. Guess what, it worked. I thought and thought why this vehicle and track  was successful and finally I knew. The track and vehicle had to be lined up so it could repel easily. This design held 14 marbles. I was impressed.

During the process I learned a lot. I learned about maglev trains. Maglev trains have to match the poles of the track so that it will float in the air. I also learned that the real Maglev Train would not be able to float unless something was holding it, just like the box was holding my Maglev Train. I learned about the Engineering Design Process and how it’s used. First comes the ask process. Then comes the imagine, the plan, create and improve. I learned that when you work with a group they might help you understand something you don’t know. Or something you knew about the wrong way. I personally think that when you work with a group you have more minds to get to work. All around you have people to help you.

To conclude, making final  improvements and designing our track. Furthermore, learning, contributing and understanding the process of the E.D.P. is really important. Maybe someday you will construct your own Maglev Transportation System. Be sure to work with someone.