This exhibit would demonstrate an application of Pascal's Law and the mechanical advantage of a hydraulic ram. It would be designed to allow a child to lift an incredibly heavy rock using their own strength to see a basic mechanism of a hydraulic ram contained within an exhibit. The actual design of this exhibit would consist of a pile of rocks with Kong, or gorilla trapped inside. Kong would plead the children to help free him. The height of rock when lifted would correspond to an amount of force the children applied. To accomplish this task, a group of children would have to work together. However, at every certain height the children reached, a sound and/or lighting effects would trigger. Thus, their achievement would be acknowledged and encouraged regardless of whether they actually rescued Kong.
Children interacting with this exhibit can learn the mechanism of the hydraulic ram through a monitor, located on the same rock as the pushing panel, and the height of the rock they see, while simultaneously the children who are walking around the exhibit can learn the same principal from the visible mechanism of the exhibit and also via attached monitors. At the end of each try, an explanation (around 45 seconds) describing the operational aspects of the exhibit would be displayed on monitors. If, however, Kong is completely rescued, he will stand there while the monitor reveals the making of the exhibit.
The Rescue Kong exhibit also has many specifications. For example, the theme of this exhibit is based on the forest in the Rocky Mountains. Thus the appearance of the exhibit along with the pushing panel and the monitors must resemble rocks. Furthermore, the weight that Kong would pick up should in some way, convince children that it is extremely heavy. Kong must also appear to be friendly and polite. In addition, we may have the exact weight beside the exhibit and give children a chance to lift that weight without a hydraulic ram. The weight of the exhibit is designed to be lifted by three average 12-year-olds. The total actual height of the rock is divided into approximately six steps. Each step will display different sound and lighting effects. The height of the rock can be directly observed through the exhibit or via monitors. Also, children can play as many games as they want using the monitor located near the pushing panel. The making of the hydraulic ram mechanism is displayed on the monitors around the exhibit.
Moreover, there are also many advantages of this hydraulic ram exhibit. Most children are already familiar with Kong or a gorilla .They can also see them in zoos or on televisions. The movie "King Kong" became one of the most successful movies. Recently, "Donkey Kong" was claimed to be the highest selling video game. Now gorilla's have made another comeback with the move "Congo."
The setting of the exhibit along with the sound and light effects can lure children towards the exhibit and learn the basic hydraulic ram principles inside. Their achievement is acknowledged by Kong several times during the exhibit.
Aside from the advantages of this exhibit, there are also many disadvantages as well. In terms of the actual setup, safety is not always the first priority. We have to prevent children from getting too close to the Kong. The weight Kong lifts also may cause an accident to someone. This exhibit would also cost a lot of money to satisfy all of our specifications. However, this exhibit could be modified due to the budget constraint. The children might be distracted by the special effects rather than learn from the exhibit. Finally, this exhibit may require too much space.
