Engineering Challenge Studio
Follow the engineering design process to build bridges, boats, towers, and parachutes. Adjust your design, test it, save your results, and improve. All computation runs in your browser.
Choose a mode
Engineering Design Process
Pick a Challenge
What is the problem?
Goal: Hold the most weight
Constraint: Use as few materials as possible
Bridge Builder
Reference Guide
The Engineering Design Process
Engineers follow a cycle to solve problems: Ask (what's the problem?), Imagine (brainstorm solutions), Plan (pick materials and shape), Create (build it), and Improve (test and redesign).
It's OK to go back and try again. That's how engineers make things better! Each time you test and change something, you learn more about what works.
Bridge Engineering
Strong bridges spread weight across beams, cables, and supports. Beams form the deck. Cables pull from towers. Supports push up from below.
The best designs hold the most weight while using the fewest materials. An efficient bridge scores higher than one that just piles on parts.
Buoyancy and Boats
A boat floats when it pushes away (displaces) enough water to equal its own weight. A wider and deeper hull displaces more water.
Lighter materials like paper give the most buoyancy. Metal hulls are heavier, so they need a bigger shape to stay afloat. Balance hull size and material weight to hold the most pennies.
Testing and Improving
Real engineers test their designs and compare results. Change one thing at a time to learn what works best. Save your results and try to beat your best score!
The results table lets you save up to 5 designs per challenge. Look at the scores side by side to figure out which changes helped the most.