Projects or machines built at my work in a high school
Wren Houses
The kids really had fun building the bird houses! They had the freedom of decorating the project.
Clocks project
This clock was done by a student. "C'est beautiful!"
Colorimeter (Chemistry analysis of a solution)
Calibration curves were done by students preparing a colored solution with a common powdered sports drink. They then were able to measure absorbance of the unknown sample that I had prepared for them in advance.
- Advantages
- Low cost (under 10$ to construct)
- Easy to use
- Interchangeable LEDs for analyzing different colored solutions
- Wide spectrum photo-diode
- Easy to troubleshoot
- Clear case lets students see inside
This is similar to a spectrophotometer but the difference is that we cannot control the wavelength of the light beam. We would need a prism set on a stepper motor to be able to dial in the ideal absorption wavelength of a given molecule. A mirror or lens system is also excellent since it can concentrate or magnify the light on a sensitive photo-detector. This could enable detection at ppm concentrations (mg/L) or (mg/Kg).
- Advantages
- Low cost (under 10$ to construct)
- Easy to use
- Interchangeable LEDs for analyzing different colored solutions
- Wide spectrum photo-diode
- Easy to troubleshoot
- Clear case lets students see inside
This is similar to a spectrophotometer but the difference is that we cannot control the wavelength of the light beam. We would need a prism set on a stepper motor to be able to dial in the ideal absorption wavelength of a given molecule. A mirror or lens system is also excellent since it can concentrate or magnify the light on a sensitive photo-detector. This could enable detection at ppm concentrations (mg/L) or (mg/Kg).
Sterling engines
Methanol (methyl alcohol) powered Sterling motors. Each one wad to be hand-tuned to work perfectly. My best engine can work up to 5 minutes after taking away the burner!
Hot air expanding pushes the displacer up (aluminum can in a becher) and cooling air contracts to pull the piston down (rubber glove finger pulling on main shaft).
Maple Taffy boxes made from Cedar (tire d'érable)
In Quebec we love spring because we have plenty of maples around to give us awesome syrup and when you boil it much more you get Maple Taffy. These are the red cedar boxes that were used to serve over 800 taffy in a day of activities at school this past spring (2012).
Last updated on Saturday September 1st 2018.