Download Cari Koblitz

Final Project
12th grade
AP Chemistry
Green Automobiles of the Future
Situation Statement: In the 1990’s, oil price ranged from approximately $15 to $20 per
barrel and was expected to stay there. The price, however, has not stayed fixed and has
increased to over $100 per barrel of crude oil. If this sounds bad, it is projected to reach
$200 per barrel in the near future. As new drivers, many of you will have to bear the
burden of more than $4 per gallon of gasoline when filling your tanks as compared to the
dollar or so I had to pay when I was your age (not all that long ago). Our oil supplies will
not last forever nor will the money in our pockets and in response, many have forged
ahead and have started to plan alternatives.
Solution Statement: It is your task, in groups of 3 to 4 members, to create an
alternative vehicle design concept that would be more energy efficient. You must explain
how the car will be fueled, draw the overall vehicle interior and exterior design by hand
and the exterior by CAD or some other computer generated program, and provide a
detailed explanation of the vehicle’s features and cost as compared to current vehicles
within and outside of the United States. In creating your alternative vehicle concept, you
should be considering ways to make the vehicle more energy efficient, which includes
but is not limited to alternative fuel/energy options and exterior and interior alterations.
To complete this project, you will need to research current and in development vehicle
fuel/energy options, cost, and the effect of exterior and interior design on energy
efficiency and compare those with the combustion engine vehicles currently in the
majority of use.
The final alternative vehicle design concept project will include:
o Class photo-story documenting the history of the automobile
o Class wiki (http://collaboration.dumontnj.org/groups/koblitzapchemfinalproject/)
for gathering and posting information/research data broken into the following
pages:
o Photo-story: History of the Automobile
o Energy Report
o Analysis
o Commuter’s Cost Comparison
o Looking Beyond
o Design Group Page – You title it according to your group’s created name

Design Proposal

Completed Design Description

Completed Design Drawings
o Class wiki blog - comments/feedback/responses to class questions at designated
dates throughout the assignment
o Class comments – serious and constructive comments/feedback/questions
regarding each group’s concept design proposal, completed design description,
and completed design drawings
o Commercial - live action or animated video, music video, flash video, machinima,
and so on, providing specifics about your design in a fun and informative manner
(be creative and shoot for 1.5 to 2 minutes, slightly longer than a normal
commercial)
Sub-group Description:
Sub-group members may work together as they find fit during the research process;
however, totals must be fulfilled according to each assignment. For example, if 2 topics
are required for each member and there are 4 members, then a total of 8 topics must be
researched and reported on.
 Group Task Assignment Sheet 
Task
Group Members/Assignment
History of the Automobile
– Your assigned decade and job
1.
2.
Class wiki editor group for each
page: 1. Energy Report, 2. Analysis,
3. Commuter’s Cost, and 4.
3.
Looking Beyond
4.
1.
2.
Energy Report Sub-group Members
3.
4.
1.
2.
Analysis Sub-group Members
3.
4.
1.
2.
Commuter’s Cost Sub-group
Members
3.
4.
1.
2.
Looking Beyond Sub-group
Members
3.
4.
 Photo-Story: History of the Car 
Using iMovie or some other software/online tools to organize photos, create a photostory (sometimes known as a photo essay) that uses pictures and brief descriptions to
provide an adequate history of the car.
Be sure to include the first type of
vehicles/transportation devices relevant to the development of today’s vehicles (1769 to
present day) and don’t forget dates or citations, images are copyrighted too! Each class
member should be assigned a decade to research and may use the designated wiki page to
post pictures and other details.
The completed photo-story will be viewed by the class.
Some useful sites to help you find useable images include but are not limited to the
following:
http://creativecommons.org/image
http://Wiki.creativecommons.org/Image
http://carpictures.cc/cars/photo/
Class Wiki Editors
As a wiki page editor, it is your job to make sure that the other sub-groups have made
posts using proper grammar, spelling, and citations.
You may make changes, but
document these changes so that the other group members can learn from their mistakes,
no matter how simple or small. Keep in mind that this wiki will be public and our goal is
to provide a class wiki that is professional, easy to read, and informative to anyone who
may stumble upon it.
Editor's Checklist
_________ The document is easy to read and makes sense.
_________ Sentences are complete and use proper punctuation.
_________ Document has been spellchecked.
_________ Capital and lower case letters are used appropriately.
_________ All sources have been properly cited.
 Energy Report 
One student from each design group will come together to research vehicle fueling
options. Each member of this sub-group must collect information about 2 current or
perspective fueling options (make sure one person’s research includes gasoline) utilizing
multiple sources (Internet, journal, newspaper, and magazine articles, textbook and other
texts – yes, you will have to take a trip to the library), select the most appropriate and
relevant, and organize your findings using the following report sheet prior to posting on
the designated wiki page.
My energy/fueling option: _________________________________________________
1. Explain where the energy/fuel comes from.
2. Is it a renewable or exhaustible fuel/energy? Explain.
3. Explain in detail the chemical reactions and physical processes that occur within
the vehicle to utilize the fuel/energy source.
Analysis 
One member from each design group (cannot be the same person from the Energy Report
sub-group) will research the advantages, disadvantages and environmental impact of 2
assigned vehicle fueling/energy sources as per the Energy Report sub-group. Please be
detailed in your explanations. Use this sheet for notes and put your resources and data in
the designated wiki page.
1. What are the advantages of your fueling/energy source?
2. What are the disadvantages of your fueling/energy source?
3. What are the negative and positive environmental impacts of your fueling/energy
source?
 Commuter’s Cost Comparison 
The third sub-group, made up of one member from each design group (cannot be a
member from the prior 2 sub-groups), will research the average commuter’s cost using
gasoline and the other fueling options researched by the other 2 sub-groups. Organize
this data in a spreadsheet using the below format and then represent the cost comparison
graphically per month and per year. Make sure that the data you collect/calculate is
based on the following standards: commuter travels 5 days a week for 50 weeks per year
and commutes an average 25 miles per day. Use the current cost of regular gasoline to
calculate the commuter’s cost using gasoline.
In the case that you cannot find
information for an alternate fueling option, discuss with the group to find a different
assigned fueling option. This sub-group’s data must be added to the proper wiki page
using the format below:
Fuel Type
Roundtrip
Commute
Distance
Regular
Gasoline
25
Miles/Gallon Cost/Gallon
20
Cost/Month
Cost/Year
 Looking Beyond 
The 4th sub-group will research alternative designs and fueling options available outside
of the United States (you may find some great ideas/concepts to use when designing your
own alternative vehicle concept). The assignment: Find 2 vehicles popular and/or new to
other countries that have incorporated alternative exterior and/or interior design and/or
alternative fueling options to make their vehicles more fuel efficient and environmentally
friendly. Each student should find 3 vehicles and post an image and a brief description
for each to the designated wiki page.
Country: _______________________________
Vehicle Make and Model: _________________________
How is this vehicle’s design different from those typical in America? What is the purpose
of these design changes?
Country: _______________________________
Vehicle Make and Model: _________________________
How is this vehicle’s design different from those typical in America? What is the purpose
of these design changes?
Country: _______________________________
Vehicle Make and Model: _________________________
How is this vehicle’s design different from those typical in America? What is the purpose
of these design changes?
 Beginning the Design Process 
At this point, you should collaborate with your group members and brainstorm using the
data collected from each sub-group and assignment. You may find it useful to borrow
designs, features, and alternative energy sources from your research, but do not feel
limited to model your vehicle after these alone. Discuss and create a collaborative
concept design template that you will use to create your detailed concept design, post to
your group’s wiki page for class feedback.
Use the following guiding questions to help during your brainstorming session:
1. What exterior features will make your vehicle more eco-friendly/fuel efficient?
2. What interior features will make your vehicle more eco-friendly/fuel efficient?
3. What alternative fuel(s)/energy source(s) will your vehicle utilize?
Describing Your Concept 
Using your research, brainstorming notes, and class feedback, it is time to provide a final,
detailed description of your design group’s alternative vehicle concept design. Explain
every exterior and interior design and purpose in addition to the alternative energy source
that will be utilized by your vehicle. Be sure to include an extensive description of the
alternative fueling/energy source’s components.
For example, how is the engine
different, does it require a special type of battery, wiring, additional features or removal
of standard features to correctly use the alternative option, and so forth. This description
should be organized into the following categories: Exterior (includes structural frame,
what will it be made of), Interior (what materials will be used), and Alternative
Fueling/Energy Source(s), and posted to your wiki page.
 Alternative Vehicle Concept Design Drawing 
The concept design drawing entails 2 parts and will be completed via free hand
(sketch/drawing) or computer assisted (drawing programs).
Part 1: Draw/sketch a detailed drawing of the exterior of your concept vehicle. You
must include and label the skeletal structure, all exterior features (standard and
alternative) of the vehicle’s body, and all material types to be used for these structures
(for example, skeletal frame is made from iron or aluminum or some other metal mix).
This will require you to draw a front, back and side view of the vehicle.
Part 2: Draw/sketch a detailed drawing of the interior of your concept vehicle. You must
include and label all internal features including seat design and material, material for the
interior surface, stereo components, AC/heat options, gauges, window operations (auto or
manual), lighting, etc. You will need to draw sectionals of the interior of the vehicle:
view from seats, view from windshield, and view of engine and trunk compartments.
Be sure to post your completed drawings to your group’s wiki page.
Video 
The final version of your video will be presented to the class.
Therefore, your
presentation must be organized, detailed, interesting, creative, and rehearsed.
To
complete this task, multiple steps will be followed.
Step 1: Create a storyboard for your video. Consider your vehicle and how it would best
be marketed through your commercial.
Step 2: Research and acquire appropriate clipart, animations, video clips, charts, video,
and so on, to compliment your vehicle design and target audience.
(http://creativecommons.org/images, http://Wiki.creativecommons.org/Images)
Step 3: Research and acquire appropriate sound/music clips for your commercial. Be
sure this does not over power the speakers, but compliments your vehicle and target
audience.
(www.audacity.sourceforge.net,
www.creativecommons.org,
www.ccmixter.org,
www.freesound.org)
Step 4: Create an original or remix (must properly cite all sources for material, clips,
music, etc. used) video.
Step 5: Preview and make recommendations to make your video better. Look for
spelling and grammar errors, if applicable, in addition to overall aesthetics and flow. Be
critical. Revise video accordingly.
Step 7: Feedback - Present your video to a small audience that does not include other
classmates or group member, but fits your target audience to receive feedback that should
be used to revise your commercial before final showing to the class. Have each reviewer
fill out the “Audience Review Sheet”. You may add additional questions at your
discretion.
Step 8: Present your final video to the class and post it to your group’s wiki page.
Audience Review Sheet:
You
have
been
chosen
to
review
a
video
created
by:
________________________________________________________________________
Please take your job seriously and provide serious feedback that the group may use to
make their commercial better!
1) Did the video content flow together or was it disjointed and confusing?
2) Did the music/sound effects enhance the video or cause distraction and
contradiction?
3) Did you find the video informative or did it lack important information?
4) Would you be interested in purchasing their vehicle, why or why not?
5) At this time, please offer any additional recommendations that could make their
commercial more appealing.