My PBL Project

INTRODUCTION

Explain the Double Cone. What is it and what does it do?

The double cone is a device that is capable of climbing hills at an incline of about 8 degrees at the standard surface-area decline of two funnels taped together, but can climb much steeper hills and mountains if it has its initial surface area increased and a surface-area decline that is very very shallow. As such, the cone needs to be huge to work for industrially-large purposes, but it has been used in agricultural communities in tandem with steel plows to automatically plow fields long ago. It works by, well, falling... up the slope. It falls up the slope and uses its speed to roll up and down the hill.

MATERIALS

• • One 2x4 plank, sawed in half

  • One 2' square wood sheet

  • One Slope Control, a 2"x1"x1-2' plank

  • One 1' long cylinder

  • One 8"-9" long double cone, achieved by taping two funnels together

  • 6 2"-3" long brass nails

  • A brain

PROCEDURE

• 1. Strip.

  2. Set up the 2x4 planks on the sheet so that they are at a 23 degree angle.

  3. Nail the planks securely, adding reinforcement as necessary.

  4. Set up your slope control on the open end of the board.

  5. Take your cylinder and put it on the open end. Watch it fall.

  6. Take your Double Cone and put it on the closed end of the board.

  7. Observe and tremble in fear at your new god FISICO, or physics, with your brain.

  8. Remain stripped for the remainder of the year.

SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLE

What is being covered by this project? What principles of physics does it need to be described?

This project is using the principle of torque, where the rotational energy of the double cone is what is causing it to go up the ramp. As it picks up rotational energy, or torque, on its route with the large surface area of rolling to fall onto its center of gravity, it will gain speed and continue on its route upward, using the torque it achieved to keep rolling, efficiently carrying its weight on the now tiny surface area.