Your Challenge
Demonstrate your ability to represent a real object at a different scale. Your mission is to create a scale model of an existing object using Tinkercad.
What You'll Learn
What You Should Already Know Before beginning this Learning Launcher:
Make sure you are familiar with Tinkercad tools and techniques, including:
Why Create Scale Models?
Scale models allow us to demonstrate a behavior or property without examining the original object.
They are used by professionals such as engineers, architects, craftsmen, film makers, the military, and salespeople.
The model's purpose determines its form. A filmmaker may want to show New York skyscrapers being destroyed by asteroids. Real skyscrapers are made of steel frames and thick glass, among other strong materials. However, for this scale model, the filmmaker would probably want to use much weaker materials so that the buildings easily crumble on impact.
If an engineer is considering a new material for bridge building, she may create a miniature bridge and test it with a structure tester to determine its strength. In such a case, the scale model would need to be made of that material in order for the test to provide any useful data. If she needed a scale model of a bridge to show the location of a new bridge that is set to be built, then the material does not matter. It could be just as effective it it were made of plastic.
Demonstrate your ability to represent a real object at a different scale. Your mission is to create a scale model of an existing object using Tinkercad.
What You'll Learn
- The purpose of scale models and the industries that use them
- How to use Tinkercad to create 3D scale models
What You Should Already Know Before beginning this Learning Launcher:
Make sure you are familiar with Tinkercad tools and techniques, including:
- Navigating the menus and tools
- Moving, resizing, and rotating objects
- Viewing a project from all angles
- Creating and modifying grouped objects
- Using align tools
- Using Workplane Helper
- Locating Tinkercad resources
- Creating simple 3D objects with Tinkercad
Why Create Scale Models?
Scale models allow us to demonstrate a behavior or property without examining the original object.
They are used by professionals such as engineers, architects, craftsmen, film makers, the military, and salespeople.
The model's purpose determines its form. A filmmaker may want to show New York skyscrapers being destroyed by asteroids. Real skyscrapers are made of steel frames and thick glass, among other strong materials. However, for this scale model, the filmmaker would probably want to use much weaker materials so that the buildings easily crumble on impact.
If an engineer is considering a new material for bridge building, she may create a miniature bridge and test it with a structure tester to determine its strength. In such a case, the scale model would need to be made of that material in order for the test to provide any useful data. If she needed a scale model of a bridge to show the location of a new bridge that is set to be built, then the material does not matter. It could be just as effective it it were made of plastic.
Scale Models
A scale model is different from a prototype. Most prototypes are identical in size and function to the final product. A scale model is smaller or larger than the final product. It may not work like the final product. Scale models help us visualize the final object.
A scale model is different from a prototype. Most prototypes are identical in size and function to the final product. A scale model is smaller or larger than the final product. It may not work like the final product. Scale models help us visualize the final object.
Warm up with Practice Projects
Refresh your Tinkercad skills by completing one or two different kinds of challenges from the project page. Once you are warmed up, create a scale model of an object of your choice.
Scale Model Challenge Steps to Creating a Scale Model
For a scale model to be useful, all of its parts have to be proportional to the same parts on the real thing. In other words, the pieces of the model must be the same size relative to each other as they would be in real life.
For example, if we want to make a scale model of a car that is normally 15 feet long (180 inches), we would first decide how big our model is going to be relative to the actual car - say, a ratio of 1:18. This ratio, also called the scale factor, tells us that our model car is going to be 1/18th the size of the original.
We could start by calculating the total length of our model. To do this, simply multiply the original length (180 inches) by the scale fraction (1/18).
180 in x 1/18 = 10 in
In this case, the scale model would have to be 10 inches long. If we know the original dimensions (length, width, thickness) for all of the car parts (wheels, windows, headlights, etc.), we would simply multiply by the scale fraction in order to create accurate scale models for each of the parts. This ensures that all parts of the car model would be proportional to the original car.
Enough Background Information it is Time to Start!
Warm up with Practice Projects
Refresh your Tinkercad skills by completing one or two different kinds of challenges from the project page. Once you are warmed up, create a scale model of an object of your choice.
Scale Model Challenge Steps to Creating a Scale Model
Refresh your Tinkercad skills by completing one or two different kinds of challenges from the project page. Once you are warmed up, create a scale model of an object of your choice.
Scale Model Challenge Steps to Creating a Scale Model
- Select an object you would like to model.
- Record measurements of the actual object.
- Decide on scale factor you would like to use for your model. Will it be half the size? A tenth of the size? One-hundredth of the size? Five times larger?
- Calculate the measurements of your model based on the scale factor. If you need help, review Calculating Scale in the What You Should Know section.
- Use Tinkercad to draw the object you picked.
- Use the ruler on Tinkercad to make sure that the drawing is to scale.
- Use a 3D printer to print your object. (optional)
- Model a common object in your home, school, or SmartLab like a lamp, a tool, or a piece of furniture.
- Create a model of a natural object like a plant or animal.
- Create a model of something in your town like a building, car, or bridge.
For a scale model to be useful, all of its parts have to be proportional to the same parts on the real thing. In other words, the pieces of the model must be the same size relative to each other as they would be in real life.
For example, if we want to make a scale model of a car that is normally 15 feet long (180 inches), we would first decide how big our model is going to be relative to the actual car - say, a ratio of 1:18. This ratio, also called the scale factor, tells us that our model car is going to be 1/18th the size of the original.
We could start by calculating the total length of our model. To do this, simply multiply the original length (180 inches) by the scale fraction (1/18).
180 in x 1/18 = 10 in
In this case, the scale model would have to be 10 inches long. If we know the original dimensions (length, width, thickness) for all of the car parts (wheels, windows, headlights, etc.), we would simply multiply by the scale fraction in order to create accurate scale models for each of the parts. This ensures that all parts of the car model would be proportional to the original car.
Enough Background Information it is Time to Start!
Warm up with Practice Projects
Refresh your Tinkercad skills by completing one or two different kinds of challenges from the project page. Once you are warmed up, create a scale model of an object of your choice.
Scale Model Challenge Steps to Creating a Scale Model
- Select an object you would like to model.
- Record measurements of the actual object.
- Decide on scale factor you would like to use for your model. Will it be half the size? A tenth of the size? One-hundredth of the size? Five times larger?
- Calculate the measurements of your model based on the scale factor. If you need help, review Calculating Scale in the What You Should Know section.
- Use Tinkercad to draw the object you picked.
- Use the ruler on Tinkercad to make sure that the drawing is to scale.
- Use a 3D printer to print your object. (optional)
- Model a common object in your home, school, like a lamp, a tool, or a piece of furniture.
- Create a model of a natural object like a plant or animal.
- Create a model of something in your town like a building, car, or bridge.