You will compare material properties, test samples, interpret measurement error, and make evidence-based selections.
IED Unit 4
Aerospace Mechanisms, Materials & Electromechanical Systems
Unit mission: Investigate materials, mechanisms, motion, friction, data, statistics, circuits, motors, and electromechanical integration through an aerospace prototype challenge.
Unit Overview
What Unit 4 Builds
You will connect physical science, materials, mechanisms, circuits, and data analysis to an engineering prototype.
You will explore linkages, hinges, cams, gears, pulleys, friction, forces, motion graphs, and system behavior.
You will integrate simple circuits or motors, develop test protocols, analyze data, revise, and demonstrate a working system.
Lesson Map
Unit 4 Individual Lessons
Each lesson has its own presentation and immersive lesson page.
| Lesson | Title | Focus Question | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Unit 4 Challenge Launch: Aerospace Mechanisms, Materials & Electromechanical Systems | How can materials, mechanisms, circuits, and data work together in an aerospace system? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.2 | Aerospace Materials and Material Properties | How do material properties influence aerospace design decisions? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.3 | Material Testing Lab | How can engineers test materials before choosing them for a prototype? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.4 | Statistics and Measurement Error | How can statistics help engineers trust and interpret test results? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.5 | Mechanisms and Types of Motion | How do mechanisms change or control motion in aerospace systems? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.6 | Mechanism Exploration: Linkages, Hinges, Cams, Gears, and Pulleys | How can physical mechanism exploration reveal design possibilities and limitations? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.7 | Friction, Force, and Mechanism Performance | How does friction affect whether a mechanism works reliably? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.8 | Motion Graphs and System Behavior | How can graphs help engineers understand system behavior over time? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.9 | Electrical Safety and Simple Circuits | How can simple circuits safely support an engineering prototype? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.10 | Motors and Electromechanical Motion | How can electrical energy create useful mechanical motion? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.11 | Concept Generation and Decision Matrix | How can engineers choose a mechanism concept using evidence and criteria? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.12 | System Architecture and Subsystem Planning | How do subsystems work together in an aerospace prototype? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.13 | CAD Planning and Assembly Layout | How can CAD planning prepare a mechanism for physical construction? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.14 | CAD Modeling Workday: Components, Motion, and Fit | How do engineers model and check parts before building? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.15 | Prototype Build Day 1: Structure and Mechanism | How do engineers build the structure and core mechanism of a prototype? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.16 | Prototype Build Day 2: Electrical or Electromechanical Integration | How can electrical or electromechanical features be integrated safely into a prototype? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.17 | Testing Protocol Development | How do engineers design fair tests to evaluate whether a prototype works? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.18 | Prototype Testing and Data Collection | How can engineers collect useful data from a prototype test? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.19 | Data Analysis, Graphing, and Design Conclusions | How can data help engineers decide whether a prototype was successful? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.20 | Iteration and Prototype Revision | How do engineers decide what to change after testing a prototype? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.21 | Final Technical Documentation: Mechanism, Circuit, Data, and Revision | How do engineers document a functional system so others can understand, test, build, or improve it? | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 4.22 | Unit 4 Technical Demonstration and Reflection | How can engineers use a technical demonstration to communicate how a system works and how it improved? | Open Lesson PPTX |