Chemistry · Investigate

Choose a material from evidence cards

Which stated properties matter for an invented design brief?

Select a fictional material against a clear design brief, then see what changes when an unknown becomes an essential requirement.

15–25 minutes, or one decision for a first try. More time is optional.

A property table lists A: yes, yes, unknown; B: yes, no, yes; C: no, yes, yes for transparency, flexibility and water resistance.
Constructed cards: a dry-use sleeve. Open full-size diagram ↗

Start here

A drawing sleeve must be transparent and flexible for dry indoor use. Read the supplied cards A, B and C; their features are invented.

Use your idea or the example below. Talk, write, draw, point or listen first. You can stop after one step.

Try it your way.

  1. Read the evidence cards

    A: transparent yes, flexible yes, water resistance unknown. B: transparent yes, flexible no, water resistant yes. C: transparent no, flexible yes, water resistant yes.

  2. Apply the two required criteria

    For the dry-use brief, A meets both stated requirements. B fails flexibility and C fails transparency. Do not let an extra desirable property erase a required one.

  3. Change the brief

    Now imagine water resistance is also essential. A’s unknown is not a yes, so none of the three cards is verified as meeting all requirements.

  4. Explain a conditional choice

    Write ‘A fits the first brief on the supplied evidence’. For the changed brief, request the missing evidence or revise the design instead of guessing.

One possible version

Constructed cards: a dry-use sleeve

The cards are invented property reports, not test results about named plastics or products. Y means yes, N no and ? unknown.

  • A: transparent yes, flexible yes, water resistance unknown.
  • B: yes, no, yes. C: no, yes, yes. Only A meets the first two required criteria.
  • When all three become essential, no card is confirmed to meet them all.

This table does not certify a real material, establish its safety or tell you what an unknown result would be.

A different way.

Compare only A and B, or direct someone else to mark the two required columns. No real materials need testing.

If you want more.

Add a fourth invented card with all three properties known. State its entries before deciding whether it meets the changed brief.

Something to keep?

Did I treat a desirable property or an unknown as if it met a requirement?

You can keep a question, a sketch or a change of mind. A finished product is optional.

This opens an editable starter in your project tools. It asks before replacing open work. Choosing it does not save or share your work automatically.

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