Calculation-based Engineering Design Applied to Truss and Frame Design

This lesson is designed for the Gunn HS Principles of Engineering and robotics classes or similar (e.g. a Project Lead the Way capstone course). The lesson demonstrates the use of mathematical simulation in design decisions, specifically designing a truss or frame structure that will be subject to external forces (bumps). The lesson introduces the concept of force diagrams (including simple vectors), then has students evaluating structures first in the simple static rigid body case, then assuming the use of a linearly elastic material and calculating the expected displacement caused by the application of an external force at a node. Students are then introduced to a matrix structural analysis application and will compare their manually calculated displacements with values derived from the application. The lesson assumes that students have completed Algebra I and know the definitions of trigonometric functions sine, cosine and tangent; however, no high school physics is assumed.