Decomposition of Cube Manipulative

thingiverse

A unique toy illustrates the breakdown of (a+b)^3 into a^3, 3 a^2 b, 3 a b^2, and b^3. This version features sockets for magnets to assemble the entire piece securely, but can easily be taken apart for counting purposes. Instructions The print file is designed in mm units, so scaling by a factor of 10 will allow you to use MakerWare successfully, as it expects units to be cm. The cube remains intact through three 3mm diameter x 3mm height cylindrical rare earth magnets. The orientation of the magnets follows these rules: small cube (a^3): all magnets point outwards (+) tall, skinny boxes (a^2 b): all magnets face outwards (-) wide, flat boxes (a b^2): all magnets point outwards (+) large cube (b^3): all magnets face outwards (-) The magnets fit snugly but may require a little extra force to settle in properly. To ensure the magnets are seated securely, JB Weld epoxy or superglue can be applied if necessary. For ease of use, consider printing magnet insertion tools to guide the magnets into place. This model is crafted using Valspar plastic primer and Liquitex heavy body acrylic paint, showing excellent durability against normal handling. This educational tool serves as a classroom manipulative for calculus classes or algebra projects, as part of the 'Motivating First-Year Calculus with Robotics' project, supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number DUE-12-45540.