Back

SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Lesson 5 - Page 3

Next 

Let’s look at a lounge chair that can change its shape.  Some people may want to lie down others may want to sit straight up.  If you look at the figure you can see the triangle ABC.  In order for the chair to recline AB changes in distance, which changes the angle between AC and AB.    The longest that you can adjust AB will recline the chair to its maximum.

Basic use of hydraulic ram

Machines today incorporated the hydraulic ram to help control the variable size of the triangle.   The hydraulic ram comes in many forms, but they all use fluid under pressure to control the speed of how fast the rotating portion of the triangle  moves from the fixed portion.   The ram consists of a piston that has a cylinder filled with oil.  An engine can control the piston by shorten or lengthen the hydraulic ram, and this will change the angle between AC and BC

In lab you will create a variable triangle and collect data on the angle and the length to see if there is any relationship. Then you are asked to design an object that includes a variable triangle.