Sun Ray Sharks

Photo & Basic Info

We are from Timber Lakes Elementary in Orlando, Florida and our team is called the Sun Ray Sharks. We took inspiration from the Sand Devil Shark. These species can be found along the Atlantic coast to the Florida Keys. Our car has 3D printed rear wheels and 3D printed shark teeth in the front of the car. We used eco-friendly materials such as an orange juice cap to hold the ping pong, a recycled cardboard tail, and cut-up yard sign pieces for our solar panel supports. One of the problems we encountered was our wheels didn’t spin correctly so we took out some spacers. Once we took out a few spacers our car ran perfectly. We also angled our solar panel at 15 degrees to capture the most sunlight.

About the Car

About the Team

• Car: Sun Ray Sharks
• School: Timber Lakes Elementary
• Grade/Division: Grades 4th/5th
• Team Member : Enzy V. (5th Grade)
• Team Member : Mason O. (4th Grade)
• Coach: Amy Tyler

Car Specifications

• Car Size: Length 15 inches
• Width 5 5/8 inches
• Height 5 1/2 inches
• Weight: 195.6 grams
• Wheel Size: 1 1/2 inches front wheel
• 2 1/4 inches back wheel
• Gear Ratio: 1:6

List of Components

• Ray Catcher Kit $41.35
• 2 Gears $3.20
• 2 Axles $2.50
• 4 Wheels $ 3.20
• 2 Balsa Wood Sheets $ 5.50
• 4 Rubber bands $1.00
• 1 Ping pong ball & Beads (free)
• 4 Nylon Spacers $1.40
• Battery Holder $ 1.35
• 1 Eyelet 50 cent
• Total Value $60.00

Lab Guide/Car Photos

Documenting & Building

Project Log

Tasks/Time Spent

2/23/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

We discussed a plan and collected our materials for the car. We made a decision to use green friendly materials and 3D printed pieces to enhance our car. We used Tinkercad for our 3D printed designs. Time Spent -2 hours

3/1/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

We painted the chassis and started thinking of our car name. We knew we wanted a shark name, because sharks swim fast in the ocean. We decided on the Sun Ray Sharks. Time Spent-1 hour

3/8/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

Today, we cut the chassis and assembled the wheels, gears, and axles. We used sandpaper on the axles. Then, we glued the motor to the chassis. Time Spent- 1 hour

3/29/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

Mr. Osterhout helped solder the alligator clips to the wires. We glued our battery holder and our orange juice lid to the chassis for our ping pong ball. Then, we attached our cut-up yard sign support panel pieces and the eyelet. Time Spent -2 hours

4/2/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

Today, we added rubber bands to the wheels. We checked the motor connections. It worked! We conducted our battery power test outside on the basketball court. Our car ran very fast and mostly straight! Time Spent -1 hour

4/3/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

Today, we painted the recycled cardboard pieces to add to our car. We cut a shark tail similar to a Sand Devil Shark and painted it gray. Then, we wrote our script for our vehicle features video. Time Spent-2 hours

4/4/24 Team Members Present: Enzy and Mason

It was finally sunny outside! So, we conducted our two solar power test today on basketball court. Our car ran fast! Go Sun Ray Sharks! Time Spent-1 hour

Car Test

Test 1 Battery Power

Weather: Cloudy

Date 4/3 and Time 2:24 pm

Distance Traveled: 25 feet

Time Elapsed: 6 seconds

Speed: 4.2 feet per second

Performance: fast and mostly straight

Test 2 Solar Power

Weather: Sunny

Date 4/4 and Time 10:44 am

Distance Traveled: 35 feet

Time Elapsed: 5 seconds

Speed: 7 feet per second

Performance: fast

Test 3 Solar Power

Weather: Sunny

Date 4/4 and Time 10:45 am

Distance Traveled: 40 feet

Time Elapsed: 8 seconds

Speed: 5 feet per second

Performance: fast