Constraints and Criteria

Lab Brief #2

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Constraints make you more creative, not less.

What you'll learn

Engineers must consider constraints (limitations like cost, time, and materials) and criteria (requirements the solution must meet) when designing solutions to problems.

Key words

design
A plan you make to build or test something on purpose.
constraint
A limit or rule that keeps something from happening.
criteria
The rules or standards used to judge or test something.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you test: how many tries until it works?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

tape

⚠️ Safety first

Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Design and build a bridge from newspaper and tape that can hold a textbook. Test it and redesign to make it stronger.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Create a data table to organize your measurements.

Question 1 of 2

What is a constraint in engineering?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

What is the first step of the engineering design process?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🌉 The Eiffel Tower can grow 6 inches taller in summer because metal expands when hot.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Defining a Problem Before Solving It All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: Every bridge, building, and gadget you've ever used started with this.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Find something that's broken at home and try to figure out *why* it broke.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”

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