Laboratory Members volunteer at camp connect event at UCF
Members of our laboratory volunteered at a Camp Connect event at UCF. Students, from 8th to 10th grade, came from surrounding schools to engage in activities that focus on STEM related subjects. Our members oversaw an activity showing the importance of light weight structures with high strength to weight ratios. A presentation was given by our group on space structures as examples of why the strength to weight ratios are important. Following a brief presentation on aerospace structures, the students competed to build a solar sail mast with the highest strength to weight ratio. They were given some basic materials, such as index cards, straws, tape, string etc. to build their structure. At the end of the allotted time students went to the weighing station to see how much weight their structure can hold. The winners received a certificate for their accomplishment.
Examples of students’ model solar sail masts
Worksheet for the solar sail mast project, created by Lin Rossmann