Easy as 1 2 3 Sand Castle/Mold

thingiverse

##We've hit 500 downloads!## ##It's easy as one... two... three! ## **All you need to know:** The Easy as 1 2 3 Sand Castle and Mold is a castle and mold that were designed to be super simple to use. Unlike other mold designs, you don't have to print a bunch of pieces to make one castle, this mold is just one piece. Just one print and you're ready to have fun. (1) First, download the mold, which is already print-ready. (2) Second, print the mold, which is scaled for perfection. (3) And third, fill it with sand and place it down. If you don't feel like getting sand in your shorts or don't have a beach nearby, you can print the castle by itself. To get started, download (1), print (2), and play! To learn more about my amazing castle, keep reading – otherwise, you're ready to start printing and playing! **Connection to mathematics:** While you read this, you might wonder how my castle relates to math. As you probably know by now, the number three pops up a lot in this description, and that's because it's used in many different mathematical ways. • In geometry, the number three represents the dimensions of space – length, width, and height. • In algebra, the number three is often used as a variable or coefficient. • In calculus, the number three appears in formulas for derivatives and integrals. My castle incorporates these mathematical concepts in a fun and creative way. For example, the cylindrical shape of my castle is based on the concept of pi (π), which represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. **Motivation:** I was inspired to enter this challenge because I saw that many other designs were flawed or didn't relate to math in a meaningful way. Instead, I made sure to create a design that is both fun and educational. My castle and mold are designed to be easy to use and understand, making it perfect for kids and adults alike. **Behind the scenes:** All elements of my castle and mold were created using free software's, including Rhino 5 (WIP), Sketchup Make, Meshlab, Netfabb Basic, and Repetier. I also used Photoshop Elements for editing and finalizing the designs. For the different photos of the castle, I used rendering films in Rhino. For the colorful castle and diagram castle, I used Photoshops free trial. **Special thanks to:** Brigitta Suwandana, Les Nielsen, and Dan Sander – you guys are the best!