3D Printing Allows for the Investigation of Real World Problems

Physics is one area that should be immune to the sentiment of, “When am I going to use this?” Yet I’ve heard this voiced in my class and to be fair I doubt many of my former students have ever needed to determine the flight time of a projectile launched in a vacuum or the speed of a hoop rolling down a ramp in their careers. 3D printing gives you the opportunity to either create or help your students create equipment to address engaging problems that go beyond the textbook. These problems might be the subject of national news or maybe just viral videos. In this presentation, I will share projects done by and with my students that benefited from the inclusion of 3D printing.

My Presentation as a PDF

• • Tinkercad – Free, simple, online (my quick overview)
  • OpenSCAD – Free, write a program to design objects
  • AutoDesk Fusion 360 – Free for Education

• • Wind Turbine Model Building
  • Create a Cell Phone Holder
  • Football Concussion

• • Slow Acceleration
  • Rotational Inertial Demonstrator
  • Adjustable Fidget Spinner – Photogate Mount
  • Phone Scope Mount
  • Table Clamp
  • Centripetal Force Demonstrator
  • Vernier Force Plate Attachment
  • All of My Models