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**The Pringles Challenge**

Objective: For students to design and test a container for shipping a single Pringles ™ potato chip, via the US Postal Service. The participating schools will match up via this web page. Students will exchange packages with schools somewhere in the United States. Upon arrival the packages will be evaluated and scored using the format in the scoring section.

Goal: To engineer the package to have the smallest volume and smallest mass that will protect the chip so that it arrives at its destination undamaged.

1. Students will use 1 (one) regular Pringles potato chip. 2. No substance may be applied or alterations of any kind made to the chip. 3. Students may work independently or with a partner. 4. All packages must be sent via the US Postal Service--First Class. The minimum package size for the Postal Service is 3" x 5". (Any other size--the risk is yours.) 5. The only other allowable writing, besides the school addresses: "fragile" or "handle with care". 6. Students must abide by the scoring of the receiving school.
 * RULES AND REGULATIONS:**

TENTATIVE PACKAGE MAILING DEADLINE: May 12, 2009

PRINGLES SCORING:
The following measurements must be made by the receiving / evaluation school: a. Mass of the package in Kgs to at least 3 significant figures. b. Volume of the package in cubic centimeters to at least 3 significant figures. c. Intactness score of the chip must be determined from the following scale and awarded by the evaluating school.

PERFECTLY INTACT (like it just left the factory) || 100 points || (cracked, but in one piece) || 50 points || A CHIPPED CHIP (chipped along the edges, less than 5 pieces) || 10 points || (chip is broken into 2 fairly equal pieces) || 10 points || (chipped / cracked, less than 20 pieces) || 5 points || (more than 20 pieces) || 1 point ||  OVERALL SCORE: The overall score for a package will be the one used to determine the winners. Calculate using the following equation:
 * [[image:tater.gif]] || 
 * [[image:tatercr.gif]] || SLIGHTLY DAMAGED
 * [[image:taterch.gif]] || 
 * [[image:tatertwo.gif]] || A SPLIT CHIP
 * [[image:tatermore.gif]] || SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED
 * [[image:taterdust.gif]] || POTATO DUST

OVERALL SCORE = __intactness score (c)__ [mass in Kg x volume in cc ]

Example: mass = 0.145 kg OVERALL SCORE = __100__ volume = 240 cc 0.145 kg x 240 cc intactness score = 100 (perfect chip) = 2.87 points