Energy systems
EnerJeeps
6. Troubleshooting A Direct-Drive Or Friction-Drive Car
Overview
Students continue working on their direct-drive and/or friction-drive cars. As they do so they note the problems they encounter, then develop and record their troubleshooting strategies.
Advance Preparation
Materials
Same as for Lesson 5: Motors, AA batteries, skewers, straws, wheels, bushings, Aluminum foil, wire, rubber bands, paper fasteners, tape, and cardboard rectangles and strips
Procedure
What is troubleshooting? Many of the students’ cars may not be working yet. In a class meeting explore how to address these problems. Ask: If something doesn’t work the way you want it to, what should you do? Develop the idea that it doesn’t make sense to start over, because most of what you made is probably OK. Also, if you start over, you might just run into the same issue again! It makes much more sense to:
2.
Complete a direct-drive-car and a Troubleshooting Guide: Students continue to build their direct-drive-cars. They list any issue that arises on the Worksheet, as well as the cause and the fix.
