💨 M7 Fluid Power

Diggers, dentist chairs and aircraft brakes all run on pushed fluid. Cogworks Construction wants engineers who can harness air.

Engineers, Advanced. Engineer Stamp: Pressure Pilot.

Lessons

1. The pneumatic grabber: Push air in, the claw closes. No motor, no gears. How?
2. The pneumatic lift table: Why can a small cylinder lift a heavy table?
3. Pressure lab: Is air “springy”? What happens when you squeeze it?
4. The air engine: Steam engines used pushed steam. Our engine uses pushed air!
5. Design Day: Air-powered lift: The construction site crane is broken. Only air can save the day!
6. Showcase: Pressure Games: Count every stroke out loud. Most efficient lift (least strokes) wins.

Design challenge

Lift a phone-sized load (200 g block) 10 cm using only air power, and hold it there for 30 seconds.

Engineering ideas

• Linkages
• Levers
• Crank & Slider

Standards: MS-PS2-2, MS-ETS1-3