Imagining themselves as car designers in the Motor City, eighth graders at Berner Middle School built and raced miniature cars while also exploring several scientific principles.
Students create their own MagLev rocket cars as an annual project in Vincent Salamone’s eighth grade technology classes. The project uses magnetic levitation to help propel the cars down a track.
Work on the cars began in December, with students researching classic or current automobiles they wanted to replicate. They then came up with the design specifications, cut the cars from a block of foam, sanded them, added a spackle coating and topped them off with paint. Magnets were then added to the bottom of each car. Mr. Salamone said it is an engaging hands-on project that allows students to be creative and imaginative.
Students raced their cars down an angled tracked, propelled by gravity, and a straight track, powered by air. The project allowed them to learn more about concepts such as aerodynamics, inertia and momentum.
Mr. Salamone said that 15 students will attend a competition at Brookhaven National Laboratories to compete against participants from other schools in the gravity-track competition, as well as a best in show for the nicest-looking cars.