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Protect the Pringle

Estimated Time Required: 30- 45 minutes

Themes: teamwork, iterative design, package construction

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Learning Points

  • Engineers don’t always know the conditions that a product may be exposed to

  • Product development is an iterative process

  • Time and resources are limited 

Materials

  • Container of Pringles®

  • Masking tape

  • Tub of water

  • Bag of pennies

  • 8.5" x 11" Paper (10 sheets per team)

  • Tape measure

  • Timer

Before the students arrive, fill your tub about halfway with water and then hide it.  

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Challenge

Build a packaging device that will protect a Pringles chip from different “tests.”

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  1. Discuss the engineering process with the class: see a problem, do research, design a solution, test, re-design, re-test, etc.

  2. Discuss why companies such as Amazon and eBay would be interested in package design.  

  3. Split the students into groups of 3-4 students per table.  Each table is now a team.

  4. Give each group 5 pieces of paper, 1 meter of masking tape, and 1 Pringles' chip.
     

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  1. Tell the students that their goal is to build a device that will protect a Pringles' chip from 2 different “tests.”  Do NOT tell the students what the tests will be, but allow them to ask ONE "Yes" or "No" question per group about the tests.  Then give them the option to share their question and answer with other groups. 

  2. Give the teams 10 minutes to design and build their package with their Pringles' chip inside.

  3. When the time is up, begin the tests!


Tests 

  1. Drop the Pringles' package from about 6 feet.  You can stand on a chair or just lift your arm.  Try to do the same height for each group.

  2. Drop a bag of pennies onto the package from about 1 meter height.  

  3. After the tests are completed, examine how well the  chip "survived.”  


     

 

  1. Handout fresh materials to each team.

  2. Give the teams 10 minutes to redo their earlier design to take into consideration what they learned from the first round of tests.  Also let them know that you will be adding a third test.   

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Tests

  1. Drop the Pringles' package from about 6 feet.  

  2. Drop a bag of pennies onto the package from about 1 meter height. 

  3. Fully submerge the package in water for 10 seconds. 

  4. After the tests are completed, examine how well the Pringle "survived.”  It is not enough that the chip is in one piece, it also needs to be dry.

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  1. What was your biggest challenge?

  2. What made it easier the second time through?

  3. What tests would you add?

Intro

Preparation

Round 1

Round 2

Discuss

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