Money Makers
Event Location: Cocoa-FL
Competition: Junior Solar Sprint
Division: 4-6 (JSS Green)
School: Parkland STEM Club
Team Size: 3
Team Info
Team name: The Money Makers
Parkland STEM Club
Brianna R. (grade 6), and Siena S. (grade 5), and Royce R. (grade 4)
Design Documentation
Project Log
| Date | Tasks worked on | Time on Task / Team Members | Obstacles encountered / Modifications to design |
| 2/26/22 | drew the car and collected materials | 1.5 hours to draw and collect materials : all team members | putting our ideas together/no modifications |
| 3/5/22 | collected the rest of the materials and started building | 1.5 hours to collect and build:all team members | We built more things and the obstacles were building |
| 3/12/22 | we soldered some things together and connected some wires | 1.5 hours to solder and connect wires:all team members | some obstacles we encountered was opening spray cans, and we connected the wheels and connected wires |
| 3/19/22 | we decided things and put some things together | 1.5 hours to decide things:all team members | obstacles were deciding things and we didn’t really add much to our car |
| 4/2/22 | got car fully assembled | 1.5 hours : all team members | wire management, obstacles : getting glue on car |
| 4/9/22 | time trials and put on guide wire | 1.5 hours : all team members | put on guide wire, obstacles : first time trial was slow |
| 4/15/22 | time trials and fixing things | 2 hours : all team members | we fixed the direction the car was turning since the car was turning left at first, obstacles : Brianna stubbing her toe |
| 4/23/22 | Finished Web page, technical designs, car specs | 1.5 hours : all teams members | Finished web page, obstacles : doing the web page |
Finished Car Specifications
car size, width : 13.5 cm, length : 32.5 cm, height : 14.7 cm
weight, 254 grams
wheel size, 4.5 cm
gear ratio, motor : axel = 20 : 40 teeth = 1 : 2 teeth
| Item | Cost per item | number of items | total cost |
| Balsa wood 10 cm x 27 cm | 2.31 per sheet | 3 | $6.93 |
| Velcro/hook & loop | 0.10 per inch | 4 | $0.40 |
| Alligator clip | 0.14 | 2 | $0.28 |
| Gear | 0.34 | 2 | $0.68 |
| Push button switch | 1.03 | 1 | $1.03 |
| Pitsco thick wheels | 0.15 | 4 | $0.60 |
| Rubber Bands 4 pack | 2.50 | 1 | $2.50 |
| Battery holder | 1.35 | 1 | $1.35 |
| Solar made Motor | 2.50 | 1 | $2.50 |
| Motor Mount & Screws | 2.50 per pack | 1 | $2.50 |
| Wire 20 awg | 0.18 per foot | 2 | $0.18 |
| Binder combs 0.5 inch | 0.07 per foot | 1⁄4 | $0.02 |
| Gold Spray Paint | 5.98 per can | 1 | $5.98 |
| Pitsco Axels 2 pack | 2.50 per pack | 1 | $2.50 |
| Nylon Spacers from Pitsco 4 pack | 5.45 per pack | 1 | $5.45 |
| Cardboard Cylinder | Recycled | 1 | none |
| Solar made Panel | 20.99 | 1 | $20.99 |
Time Trials / Test Runs
comments on performance, and
ideas to help improve performance (if any).
April 9th Saturday 7:30 P.M. (Battery Powered)
First attempt : 11.98 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 4.17 feet per second
Second attempt : 12.56 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 3.98 feet per second
Third attempt : 9.49 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 5.27 feet per second
April 15th Friday 11:30 A.M. (Solar Powered)
Conditions : Partly cloudy
First attempt : 11.57 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 4.32 feet per second
The sun was up almost all of the time so the car only took about a second to pick up speed.
Second attempt : 18.79 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 2.66 feet per second
Sun went behind clouds, and the car started off very slowly but eventually picked up more speed at the end.
Third attempt : 12.18 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 4.11 feet per second
At first the sun went behind the clouds but then after around 10 feet the sun came out and the car picked up speed really quickly.
April 15th Friday 12:15 P.M./Noon (Solar Powered)
Conditions : Partly cloudy, more clear than before though. Used cardboard to cover solar panel before releasing
First attempt (afternoon runs) : 16.15 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 3.10 feet per second
The sun was up all the time except for a bit of shade at the end, but because of the cardboard the solar panel wasn’t really ‘charged’ so it didn’t start immediately.
Second attempt (afternoon runs) : 17.85 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 2.80 feet per second
The sun was up all the time other than a bit of shade at the end, but since there was cardboard on the top of the panel it wasn’t ‘charged’ so it didn’t start immediately.
Third attempt (afternoon runs) : 18.90 seconds for 50 feet – Speed = 2.65 feet per second
The sun was up all the time other than a bit of shade at the end, but because there was cardboard on the panel it didn’t start immediately since it wasn’t ‘charging’.
Your project log and diagrams are very complete and easy to understand. What a great theme!