Activity (Hands-On)Grades 8 - 10
Design Your Own Nano-Polymer Smartphone Case
Students work through the engineering design process to design and create their own nano-polymer smartphone or tablet case. Students choose their design, mix their nano-polymer (based in silicone) with starch and add coloring of their choice. While thinking critically about their design, students embed strings in the nano-polymer to optimize both case strength and flexibility. Students may apply strings in a variety of ways in order to maximize their individual design’s potential. Determining the best mixing ratio is also key for success in this challenge.
A near-finished example of a student’s nano-polymer smartphone case.Copyright 2018 Fatih Gozuacik, Rice University RET
