MISSION 07 · CREATIVE ENGINEERING
Can you compare two objects without knowing their numbers?
3 · Make Mechanisms Work
Your new skill: Balance equal arms and compare small loads.
Revisit the skill you will reuse: Previous main-path mission
Match the names to your parts before you build. New parts appear when you first need them. You can point, say the name or show a grown-up.
These are our building materials. Shape and arrangement can change how a structure holds a load.
Look for: Sort sticks by size and choose the paper stated in the mission.
Before using it: Keep the same material for a fair comparison. Ask for adult help with cutting and remove splinters.
Your turn: Predict whether a flat sheet and a folded sheet will hold the same load.
Glue and tape join parts. A stretched or twisted rubber band can store energy for a small moving model.
Look for: Find the joining material and band named in the mission.
Before using it: Let glue set; use small gentle twists and never aim a stretched band at anyone. Change only the joint or band test the mission names.
Your turn: Point to a joint that must stay fixed and a part that must stay free to move.
An axle supports a wheel. A straw bearing guides the axle while letting it turn. Wheels help our model roll.
Look for: Find the straight axle, straw sleeves and matching bottle-cap wheels. A separate third straw makes the balloon nozzle.
Before using it: An adult makes wheel holes and covers sharp tips. Wheels should turn freely before power or balloon air is added.
Your turn: Identify the part that stays fixed to the chassis and the part that turns inside it.
A pulley is a wheel that guides a thread. It lets us change the direction of a pull to lift a small load.
Look for: Find the supported turning wheel or cap, and the thread passing over it.
Before using it: Use the small listed load, a stable base and a freely turning wheel. Keep thread away from necks.
Your turn: Point to the downward pull and predict the load's direction.
A tray catches spills, cups hold samples or form a model, and a dry workspace protects our tools.
Look for: Choose the exact container and dry surface in the mission list.
Before using it: Experiment cups stay separate from food and drinks. Keep electronics away from liquids and clean up before storing parts.
Your turn: Show where a spill would land and where electrical parts will stay dry.
A video demonstration will appear here when it is ready. You can follow the written step now.
Before we build, match these names to the parts in front of you. Craft sticks and paper. These are our building materials. Shape and arrangement can change how a structure holds a load. Sort sticks by size and choose the paper stated in the mission. Keep the same material for a fair comparison. Ask for adult help with cutting and remove splinters. Glue tape and rubber bands. Glue and tape join parts. A stretched or twisted rubber band can store energy for a small moving model. Find the joining material and band named in the mission. Let glue set; use small gentle twists and never aim a stretched band at anyone. Change only the joint or band test the mission names. Axle wheel and straw bearing. An axle supports a wheel. A straw bearing guides the axle while letting it turn. Wheels help our model roll. Find the straight axle, straw sleeves and matching bottle-cap wheels. A separate third straw makes the balloon nozzle. An adult makes wheel holes and covers sharp tips. Wheels should turn freely before power or balloon air is added. Pulley and thread. A pulley is a wheel that guides a thread. It lets us change the direction of a pull to lift a small load. Find the supported turning wheel or cap, and the thread passing over it. Use the small listed load, a stable base and a freely turning wheel. Keep thread away from necks. Tray cup and dry workspace. A tray catches spills, cups hold samples or form a model, and a dry workspace protects our tools. Choose the exact container and dry surface in the mission list. Experiment cups stay separate from food and drinks. Keep electronics away from liquids and clean up before storing parts. Pause and point to the part that will do the main job in this mission. If it is missing or looks different, ask a grown-up before building.
WHAT YOU'LL USE
Kit list: match the named parts to your box and its component cards. Home list: gather these before starting; some may also be supplied in your kit. Reuse components between missions. Stop and ask a grown-up if an essential part or label is missing.
BEFORE YOU BUILD
Follow the Creative Engineering safety rules. Adult help: No special help.
YOUR REWARD
PREDICT BEFORE YOU BEGIN
What do you think will happen? Say it, point to it or draw it. Then test your idea.
BEFORE YOU BUILD
• Read every step before using glue. • Lay out the structure without glue first. • Mark centre lines, axle positions or wire routes. • Check the adult-help label at the start of the mission. • Keep moving and electrical parts removable where possible.
PAUSE AND CHECK
Can the moving part turn, slide or balance in your dry layout? Fix the geometry now. Glue only after the movement makes sense.
YOUR CHALLENGE
NEW POWER-UP
You will build a pivoting beam, centre the fulcrum and calibrate the scale before comparing objects.
You have just practised guide a light load with a pulley. Now: balance equal arms and compare small loads.
BUILD PATH
STEP 1 OF 8
Build a wide base and an upright support. Add a diagonal brace.
A video demonstration will appear here when it is ready. You can follow the written step now.
Build a wide base and an upright support. Add a diagonal brace.
WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING?
A balanced beam depends on both force and distance from the pivot. Equal arm lengths make mass comparison fair. Calibration removes small differences in the cups or hangers.
Balances, weighing instruments and playground seesaws all use forces around a pivot.
FAIR-TEST CHALLENGE
Change one feature, keep the rest the same and repeat your comparison.
WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK YET
WHAT YOU NOTICE POSSIBLE REASON TRY THIS Empty scale tilts Cup or hanger masses differ Calibrate with tiny clay pieces. Beam sticks Pivot has too much friction Create a small clearance and keep glue away from the turning point. Results change after swap Arms are unequal or stand is tilted Recheck centre mark and base level.
CLEAN, RESET AND STORE
Switch off and disconnect any battery. Remove tape gently to recover reusable parts; store electronics dry and free of glue.
NEXT SKILL
Use elastic energy to paddle without wet electronics.