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TeachEngineering
Posted March 16, 2017
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Wind-Powered Sail Cars
Wind-Powered Sail Cars
https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/ucd_sailcars_activity1

PostedFriday, May 4, 2018 at 5:18 PM

Student pairs design and construct small, wind-powered sail cars using limited quantities of drinking straws, masking tape, paper and beads. Teams compete to see which sail car travels the farthest when pushed by the wind (simulated by the use of an electric fan). Students learn about wind and kinetic and renewable energy, and follow the steps of the engineering design process to imagine, create, test, evaluate and refine their sail cars. This activity is part of a unit in which multiple activities are brought together for an all-day school/multi-school concluding “engineering field day” competition.

Student pairs design and construct small, wind-powered sail cars using limited quantities of drinking straws, masking tape, paper and beads. Teams compete to see which sail car travels the farthest when pushed by the wind (simulated by the use of an electric fan). Students learn about wind and kinetic and renewable energy, and follow the steps of the engineering design process to imagine, create, test, evaluate and refine their sail cars. This activity is part of a unit in which multiple activities are brought together for an all-day school/multi-school concluding “engineering field day” competition.

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  • Dianne Lhotte, Fitzgerald High School
    Posted Friday, November 2, 2018 at 4:39 PM
    Wind Powered Sail Cars
    I modified and used this activity with high school students as their first hands-on task in Energy and Power. They had a ball with it. I included a photo of one of the sail cars, and also here the student handouts I used, with an alternate plan for balloon-powered cars, if someone doesn't have fans.
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