Virginia Science Olympiad: BUILDING EVENTS Div C

Building Events Helicopters Mission Possible Mousetrap Vehicle Sounds of Music Tower Building

BASICS TO REMEMBER Each device should be clearly labeled with the team name and number change: Helicopter motors, Mission Possible, Mousetrap Vehicle, & Tower must be impounded Any student on the team may help build, impound, and/or compete with the device FOLLOW THE RULES!

SAFETY REGULATIONS Under each event description there is a section for “eye protection” followed by a number Descriptions of what these numbers refer to appear on the under “events” For most events the regular lab goggles with indirect vents will work (#4, ANSI Z87) For Mousetrap Vehicle - #5 or high impact goggles/spectacles must be worn – that is they must be rated ANSI Z87+

Helicopters Teams of 2 construct and test rubber- powered helicopters for maximum flight times

Helicopters Teams can make 2 official flights with either the same helicopter or 2 different helicopters “motors” must be impounded Longest flight wins; 2 nd flight is used as tie breaker Tier 2 – construction and/or competition violations

Helicopters Functional components must be constructed from wood, paper, plastic film covering, and glue – NO RIGID PLASTIC Components may be attached to each other with tape, thread, paper, metal, plastic tubes, and/or rubber bands NO pre-glued, or pre-covered surfaces (basically – students must construct their own rotors)

Helicopters The total mass of the helicopter must be a minimum of 4.0 g without the motor Motors (+ o-rings if used for attaching) cannot exceed a mass of 2.0 g Rotors (up to 3) cannot exceed a diameter of 40.0 cm

Helicopters - materials Very light tissue paper or mylar film balsa wood Super glue, spray glue Winder, O-rings, plastic bushings

Mission Possible Design a Rube- Goldberg type device that completes certain tasks impound

Mission Possible – rules & tips Device must fit in 50 cm x 50 cm x 80 cm imaginary box of any orientation – consider building an open box for students to build in Read rules for specifics on voltage limits, allowed liquids, allowed electrical components, etc. Find students with creative minds who know some electronics

Mission Possible - rules A list of tasks is given in the rules Students must start with task 3a : Drop a US quarter from above the entire device. The quarter must physically touch and snap a mousetrap that will begin the chain of events.

Mission Possible - rules Students must end with task 3n : Raise a sign completely above the top of the device using a single pre-filled helium balloon. The balloon must remain tethered to the device with a string

Mission Possible - rules Teams may choose 8 additional tasks (3b-3m) that can be completed in any order – students turn in a task sequence list (TSL) Tasks are worth different amounts of points The device can run for a max. of 3 mins., but only earns time points for 60 secs. at Regionals and secs. at States (2 pts/sec)

Mission Possible - scoring Highest score wins See rules for points breakdown and penalties With the new format – if a team submits a device that has only the starting and finishing tasks, that works, meets specs, turns in a TSL, the team can earn 500+ points No tiers

Mousetrap Vehicle Students build a vehicle that is propelled by 1 or 2 mousetraps and can push a plastic cup out a distance and return to a point behind the starting line * impound

Mousetrap Vehicle - basics Only unmodified commercial mousetraps may be used with bases less than 6.0 cm x 12.0 cm Items may be added to the moustrap, but the structural integrity of the mousetrap may not be altered and no holes can be made in the mousetrap mousetrap can be attached by taping, tying, gluing, soldering, or clamping

Mousetrap Vehicle - basics the device must fit in a 1.0 m x 1.0 m box in start mode; no height restriction the device must work in 1 piece all energy must originate from the mousetrap the device must be triggered by a perpendicular motion of a pencil, dowel, or similar device the device must stop and reverse on its own only the wheels & drive string may contact the track a fixed pointed object must be on the perimeter of the vehicle 1 cm from the track

Mousetrap Vehicle - basics students may start the device anywhere along the start line (there is a bonus if the vehicle stays within the 1.00 m track width) The fixed point does not have to be on the start line The vehicle does not have to be behind the start line students have 10 minutes to set up and run 2 trials students may not follow the vehicle down the track or go to their vehicle until called by event supervisor

Mousetrap Vehicle - scoring lowest score wins score = distance score + lane bonus + time score

Mousetrap Vehicle - scoring distance score = the point-to-line-distance (perpendicular) in cm (to 0.1 cm) from the nearest edge of cup to 3 m line + the point-to- point distance in cm from fixed point on vehicle to center of minus 4 m line (both are positive measurements)

Mousetrap Vehicle - scoring Lane bonus: -30 points for vehicles who’s fixed point remains in the 1.00 m lane Time score: the time of the run measured to 0.01 sec x 1 at regionals and x 2 at states

Mousetrap Vehicle – other notes the vehicle must reverse in 3 seconds a recoil is not a reverse not reversing adds 1500 points to the score not pushing the cup = 300 point cup distance score vehicles not passing 1.5 meters = 500 points tier 2: competition violations tier 3: construction violations

Sounds of Music Students will build 1 wind and 1 percussion instrument that they will play on-site and answer questions about their operation

Sounds of Music - construction with the exception of strings, no commercial parts of instruments may be used; no electronic devices are permitted wind instrument – a column of air (or resonator) is set into vibration by a person blowing into or over it percussion instrument – produces sound when hit with an implement, shaken, scraped, or any action that sets the instrument into vibration

Sounds of Music – competition Part 1 each instrument must be able to play a 12 tone tempered scale in a specified range Wind – C major (C4 to C5) Percussion – G major (G2 to G3) the instruments must play a required piece (in rules) and a chosen piece; both pieces must be notated by the students and submitted to the event supervisor and must contain melody and harmony in range

Sounds of Music Part 2 the interview team members will be asked to play a note from their scale which will be judged for accuracy (tuner) teams will be rated on creativity, originality, variety, workmanship

Sounds of Music Part 3 the test (written and/or interview) teams will be asked about construction, tuning, how it makes sound, volume, pitch teams must be able to explain basic principles of sound, wave theory, accoustics, harmonics, Bernoulli Effect scoring is based on parts 1, 2, &3 – specific score sheet in rules

Towers Students design a tower with best efficiency up to 15 kg of mass will be tested impounded

Towers - basics Important measurements:  Must be a min. of 50 cm above test base  Must span 20x20 cm opening on test base  Must pass through 8 cm diameter hole 15 cm above test base

Towers - basics

Other things to note:  Must be wood and glue (no bamboo, laminates, etc.)  No maximum wood size  Must support 5x5x2 cm block w/ ¼ “ threaded rod 50 cm above test base  Chain must hang within 2.5 cm of center of test base when bucket attached

Towers - scoring The score is pure efficiency: Efficiency = (mass held) 2 bridge mass Bridges that don’t meet specs are tested but moved to tier 2 Bridges that are untestable are in tier 3 and ranked by mass

Towers - tips Balsa has best weight to strength ratio – order online for better pieces ( has good balsa, cutters, etc.) Glue adds the most weight – use sparingly Have students draw plans, cover with clear packing tape and work on top of plan Keep everything symmetrical, level, square