A design has a goal and limits. This shade must cover at least three garden cells. Each cell of shade costs two tokens, and the available tokens are the budget. A good choice must cover enough cells and stay within the budget. The goal is called a criterion. A constraint is a limit that the design must obey, such as a maximum size or budget.
Engineering and scientific investigation · Discover & try
What should a design achieve, and what limits it?
Reading level 1 of 5 · EarlyChange
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Criterion
A feature used to judge success.
Constraint
A required limit on possible designs.
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Invented grid coverage and token costs make the performance criterion and budget constraint visible.
What to look for
- It costs only four tokens but does not cover the required three cells.
- It covers three cells and costs exactly six tokens.
- It covers enough cells, but eight tokens is more than the six available.
Explain what you noticed
A delivery robot must carry a parcel and fit through a 30 cm opening. Which statement is a size constraint?
Keep this idea: A solution needs to address the goal and respect its required limits.
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