Activity 5.

6L Physical Property Analysis

Introduction
How can you find the properties of a product before it is built? You can calculate
them mathematically, providing you have the material specifications, but it will take
time. In todays busy, fast-paced world, engineers use solid modeling software
programs to speed up the calculating process. However, the user of the software
must understand what the software is doing in order to estimate the answers and to
be able to recognize a possible error.
First, you are going to calculate the surface area and volume for a few blocks of
wood. Then you will take these measurements and draw the blocks on 3D modeling
software. When done, your calculation should match the calculations from the
modeling software to the precision specified.

Equipment

Engineering notebook
Pencil
Computer with 3D CAD solid modeling software
Calculator
Blocks of cut wood

Procedure
In this activity you will calculate the volume of a part and the surface area. Next, you
will check your work using a 3D solid modeling software program.
Block #1
This block will get you started in the right
directions. It is very straight forward.
1. Cut out paper to fit each side exactly.
2. Place one of the cut-out papers up
against the block of wood in its correct
position. Place another piece in its
position and tape it to the first.
Continue until you have the block
covered. Do not tape to the block of
wood. Only tape to other paper.
3. Carefully remove the paper from the block by cutting as few pieces of tape as
possible to get the block out.
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4. Cut whatever tape necessary to flatten out the paper. Do not cut so much as to
cut off any one piece of paper from the net.
5. Using LESS than a half page, draw this net in your engineering notebook.
6. Use calipers on the block itself and measure the length, width and height of the
block. Write these measurements on the paper net and on the net in your
notebook. (Precision = 0.000) Hint: Use only one measurement per distance.
The blocks may not be perfectly squared, but if you measure .512 inches for the
thickness, use that for the thickness even if another area might have a thickness
of .514 inches.
7. Label each part of the net with a capital letter (A-F).
8. Copy this chart:
Side
Length
A
x
B
x
C
x
D
x
E
x
F
x
Surface area for block #1

Width

Side Total
=
=
=
=
=
=

9. Fill in the chart with your

measurements. Fill in the total
column. Totals for each side and
answer need to be written out to
the ten thousandths column.
10. Calculate the volume for your
block. Write out the calculation
and answer in your engineering
notebook.
11. Go to the computer and model
this block on Inventor software.
Compare your answer to the
iProperties numbers for surface
area and volume. Your answers
should match to the hundredth
place.
12. Your engineering notebook should
look like the example on the right
with your numbers filled in for the X.XXX, etc., entries.
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Block #2
Block #2 procedure is the same as block
one, except that you have a new shape to
deal with. You will have seven sides
instead of six, because the side that is
angled is two parts, not one. Therefore,
your chart will have A-G. All of the other
steps are the same.
1. Wrap with sides cut out of paper.
2. Unwrap and flatten to make a net.
3. Draw the net in your engineering
notebook.
4. Measure your lengths and widths of all sides.
5. Calculate surface area and volume.
6. Model this on Inventor.
7. Make sure your statistics match to the hundredths place. If it doesnt match,
recheck your math in your engineering notebook and ALL the dimensions for
your Inventor drawing.
One quirk of Inventor to watch out for:
When you want a diagonal dimension, make sure the leader lines are 90 to the line you
want to dimension, as shown in figure 1 below. These three drawings are from the
same sketch, yet they illustrate different ways it can be dimensioned. If you want a
dimension like figure 1, click on Dimension, then click and pull out from the line you
want. It wont be the right style (It will be like figure 2 or 3.). So, without clicking to set
that dimension, go back and click and pull out on the same line again. This time it
should be correct.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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IED Activity 5.6 Physical Property Analysis Page 3

Block #3
This is the challenge piece.

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