Step Launcher (Student Instruction)

What do a bat hitting a baseball, a nutcracker opening a walnut, and a trebuchet flinging a boulder have in common? They all make excellent use of levers, simple machines that can convert a small force into a large one, or a small motion into a large one. Engineers use different kinds of levers to accomplish a wide range of tasks.

Overview

STEM careers

Mechanical

Grade level

Topic

Design Challenge

Time

1 to 2 Hours

Materials

A ping pong ball, or small foam ball, to launch
Lever materials like
- paint stirrers
- rulers
- spoons
Fulcrum materials like
- thread spools
- paper towel tubes
Tape or rubber bands
Feel free to use other building materials you might find at home – be creative!

Instructions

Identify the Problem
- The most critical step of any engineering challenge is to understand the problem you are trying to solve.
- How can you design a way to launch a small ball off the floor so you can catch it? Here are the specs:
  - You may only use one foot to make your launcher work.
  - Your design must launch the ball upward and high enough for you to catch it.
Brainstorm Designs
- Experiment with your materials and maybe sketch some ideas before you start building.
- Consider how your materials might affect the ball’s trajectory, or path through the air:
  - Why are ping pong / foam balls challenging to launch straight up in the air?
  - How does the length of the lever affect the trajectory of the ball? What about the placement of the fulcrum?
Build and Test Your Design
- Choose one design idea and start building!
  - How can you use connective materials like tape or rubber bands to hold your design together?
- Test your design. Did it work like you thought it would? Are there things you want to adjust or change to make it better?
Make Changes and Try Again
- Redesign your launcher and test again.
- If your first design was successful, you can up the ante with a new challenge…like shooting the ball up twice as high or launching it into a wastebasket – the possibilities are endless!
Share Your Results with a teacher, parent/guardian, or DiscoverE
- Share photos or a video of your launcher in action!
- Send to DiscoverE at social@DiscoverE.org or post on Instagram/Twitter using the hashtag #DiscoverEChallenge

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