This document outlines various activities and projects involving testing and designing with different materials. Activity 1 involves testing types of ice, Activity 2 is hunting for composite materials, Activity 3 tests material strength and stiffness. Activity 4 specifically tests a foam composite. One project involves designing a fishing pole. Another project develops a solar conducting pot by covering an aluminum pot with graphite to increase heat conductivity from solar focusing. The activities explore composites and their benefits over pure materials, and involve predicting material properties and testing hypotheses about composites.

2. • Activity 1: Testing different kinds of ice
• Activity 2: Hunting for composite materials
• Activity 3: Testing Materials for strength and stiffness.
• Activity 4: Testing a foam composite for strength and stiffness.
• Project 1: Design a fishing pole.
• Solar Conducting Pot

3.  A composite is material made from two or more
constituent materials with significantly different physical
or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a
material with characteristics different from the individual
components. The individual components remain separate
and distinct within the finished structure. The new
material may be preferred for many reasons: common
examples include materials which are stronger, lighter, or
less expensive when compared to traditional materials.

4.  The goal of testing different types of ice is to discover which is
stronger, a composite material or a pure material.
 Step 1: adding water to a small plate without any additions. (sample 1)
 Step 2: adding water to a small plate while reinforcing it with tissue
fibers. (sample 2)
 Step 3: adding water to a small plate while reinforcing it with different
components (cotton fibers, pencil pieces, wooden toothpick). (sample 3)
 Step 4: freezing all three samples.
 Step 5: taking the samples apart from the small plates and throwing them
from the same height.

5.  the third sample broke down from the third throw, while
the other two broke down easily from the first time.
 the reinforced sample didn’t break easily showing that the
composite material is the strongest.

6.  the intent of the hunting is to explore different types of
composites so as to get a general idea of what a composite is, and
the benefits of them.
 we discussed two types of developed composites, listing their
advantages and uses. One is fiberglass and the other is carbon
nanotubes.

7.  we aimed on predicting different kinds of
materials properties such as( flexibility and
strength).
Flexibility
1 Rope
2 Plastic rod
3 Iron rod
4 Wood rod
5 Pasta
Strength
1 Iron rod
2 Rope
3 Plastic rod
4 Wood rod
5 Pasta

8.  the aim of experimenting foam composite is to illustrate which is a
stiffer, a fortified foam with paper from two sides, another from
one side and a plain foam.
 Step 1: fix the plain foam with C clamp to the tables side from
one end.
 Step 2: clip a pin to the other suspended side of the foam.
 Step 3: hang the spring balance to the suspended side of the foam.
 Step 4: pull down the spring and measure the amount of weight
the foam can handle.
 Step 5: do the same steps to the other types of fortified paper.

9.  the two sided paper didn’t break down even at
2000 N. (2000 N is the last number measured
by the balance).
 reinforcing by covering from outside forms a
stronger composite.

10. •We tried to reflect on our study by trying a mixture of different
materials to make the best composite which combines between strength,
stiffness and flexibility.
-Toothpicks
- two aspirators
- tape
- tissue fibers
- thread
•We achieved a sturdy body by taping the toothpicks(wood) to the two
aspirators.
• A soft handgrip through taping the tissue fibers to the end of the
aspirators.

11. Main idea: We established the
idea of a heat conducting pot by
covering an aluminum pot with
graphite layers to increase heat
conductivity resulted from the
light focus of a concave mirror.
•Aim of the work (objectives):
Our idea is a great benefit to
those who use solar cooking
decreasing the time needed for
cooking and easily carried.

12.  Hypothesis: we thought that adding graphite to aluminum pots
will increase their solar conductivity.
 Explanation: graphite is black colored and any black object
absorbs all light radiations. Moreover, graphite has the ability to
conduct heat from 300 to 1500˚C, which is a wide range not
available in any other element.


13. Materials: aluminum pot - cardboard – concave
mirror – graphite cube – plastic rods – white
paper.
Method:
- Cover the concave mirror from the convex area with card board.
- Lubricate the aluminum pot with the graphite cube.
- Fix the concave mirror by the plastic rods on the ground.
- Experiment the focus of the mirror by moving the paper above the concave
mirror.
- When the paper burns, then that position is the focus.
- Put the pot at that place for experimenting heat conductivity.

14. • Our idea is a great benefit to those who use solar cooking. It
solved the problems the picnickers face in cooking.

15.  We advice using it at the beaches.
 We advice doing experimentations on the elements used in the pot
which may improve its conductivity, mobility, weight and price.
 we faced problems lubricating the pot as it was not harmonic all
over the pot.
 Another problem was estimating the focus as we couldn’t find a
law to measure it.

16. We got benefit from Al Bairaq journey,
understanding composites, and studying
different kinds of materials, in addition to the
design projects we inspired by the activities
we have done.

17. Many thanks to AL-Bairaq team from Center for Advanced
Materials (CAM), Qatar University for supporting us
during our journey with a AL-Bairaq.
Also, I would like to thank the sponsors UNESCO, Qatar
National Commission, Ras Gas, Maersk and Shell.