Need engineering contest ideas

[mjmr89]

In one of my classes we need to come up with ideas for a short engineering contest for freshmen in highschool. Should be able to complete in an hour. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas, I'm totally stuck!

Thanks!

[Unsmart]

Wait, you can do the model at home or you have to build it THERE?

Make engine model, with gears that rotate the top thingis that inject fuel

[mjmr89]

I should have been clearer - me and my group have to organize a contest for a freshman class period. The students will compete to show some physics principle. My ideas so far are to have a competition to see who can get a "paper" airplane when not necessarily using normal paper (use cardboard, construction paper, maybe aluminum, etc). Also thinking of having a competition to see who can get the highest spray with diet coke and mentos. I just need a third idea to present to my team today.

[Bull]

Give a fixed amount of A4 papers (1 to 3 or so), a fixed amount of sticky tape, scissors.
The assignment is to make an as high as possible tower.

[-HP-]

Give a fixed amount of spaghetti, a fixed amount of marshmallows. The assignment is to make an as high as possible tower.

fix'd

[Donkie]

Give a fixed amount of A4 papers (1 to 3 or so), a fixed amount of sticky tape (1-2 foot), scissors.
The assignment is to make an as high as possible tower.

That is classic in my school. But yeah, what he said. Or make a bridge of some sort by just a block of papers. Or make a tower withOUT tape. (fold the papers, duhh)

[Dskodk]

1) Straws, blutack, and build tower.
2) popsicle sticks, two desks, cellotape, build bridge
thats all ive got.

[N00bDud3]

Another good idea is the egg drop. There are 2 versions I know of:
1. Build a container for the egg, then drop from increasing heights until the egg breaks, or
2. Build an egg catcher, that you drop the egg into from increasing heights until the egg breaks.

In either, there should be a limit on materials. Mostly cardboard, paper, tape, string, rubber bands, and cups are used.

[mjmr89]

You guys rock, thanks!!!

[Azrael]

I've done the tower building one with both paper+sellotape and spaghetti+marshmellows. The spaghetti one never ends well, everybody eats the marshmallows and the special kid shoves the spaghetti up his nose.