I’m Selina, and my pronouns are they/them. I’m a math/data science/something like that major, and I’m taking this class so I can learn how to design physical things and use tools! I like playing video games and I hope I can be friends with some of yall in this class.
I have chosen this bag hook as my object. It attaches to my keys and it can unfold into a hook that can lay on any flat horizontal surface. I like this product a lot because at first I had no idea how it worked, but it actually does and is pretty stable. My favorite part is how it makes use of folding in on itself so it’s extremely compact and doesn’t snag on anything. One question I have is how much weight it can actually sustain. I have used it to lift my laptop but I always had a little concern it would just break. A few parts are rubber and plastic so it’s not sustainable. This product was around $5, made of metal, plastic, and rubber. It has around 10 parts including each segment, the hinges, and the magnets that hold it closed.
It’s great to have you in class, Selina! I had never even heard of these bag hooks until I came to Wellesley, and it’s reliable that one person in ENGR111 each year chooses one … they’re a really ingenious product that resonates with many. You ask a great question about how strong it is … we could figure that out empirically (but break your product in the process) or model the part and determine it’s likely point of failure mathematically. I’m happy to work with you in office hours to do so sometime.