TSA Tech Bowl Texas
Torsion welding – Welding technique that uses twisting motion and heat to join parts.
Tensile stress – Stress that tends to stretch or lengthen a material.
Shear stress – Stress that causes layers of material to slide past each other.
Joists (repeated concept) – Horizontal structural members that support floors or roofs.
Foundations (repeated concept) – Structural base that transfers loads to the ground.
Nondestructive testing – Testing that evaluates material properties without causing damage.
Active solar heating – System that uses mechanical devices to collect and circulate solar heat.
Green engineering – Design approach that minimizes environmental impact.
Natural architecture – Building design that harmonizes with natural surroundings.
Aerodynamics – Study of forces acting on objects moving through air.
Aeronautics – Science of flight within Earth’s atmosphere.
Astronomy – Study of celestial objects and phenomena beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Rudder – Vertical control surface that controls yaw of an aircraft.
Spoiler – Device on a wing that disrupts airflow to reduce lift and increase drag.
Slats – Leading‑edge wing surfaces that extend to increase lift at low speeds.
Trash Island – Informal name sometimes used for North Pacific marine trash area.
Plastic Sea – Another informal name sometimes used for marine trash regions.
Steroid – Organic compound with four‑ring structure, sometimes used as medication.
Supplement – Product taken to add nutritional or health value to a diet.
Experiment – Controlled test or investigation to discover or demonstrate something.
Noble gases – Chemically inert elements in Group 18 of the periodic table.
Composites – Materials made from two or more distinct components.
Halogens – Reactive nonmetal elements in Group 17 of the periodic table.
Binary code – Representation of data using two symbols, typically 0 and 1.
Database – Organized collection of structured information or data.
Lift (aircraft) – Upward force opposing weight in flight.
Airfoil – Shape of a wing or blade that produces lift.
Columns – Vertical structural elements carrying compression loads.
Abutments – Substructures that support the ends of bridges.
Girders – Large horizontal beams supporting other beams or loads.
Gasification – Process converting organic material into syngas using heat and limited oxygen.
Radiation – Energy transfer by electromagnetic waves or particles.
Combustion – Exothermic chemical reaction between fuel and oxidizer, releasing heat.
Baking soda – Sodium bicarbonate, common household chemical.
Acetic acid – Organic acid that is main component of vinegar.
Hydrogen peroxide – Oxidizing agent used as disinfectant and cleaner.
Eyes and media illusion – Visual perception changes with light speed differences in media.
Dispersion – Separation of light into component wavelengths (e.g., prism effect).
Reflection – Bouncing of light from a surface.
Diffraction – Bending and spreading of waves around obstacles or through openings.
Buoyancy – Upward force exerted by a fluid on an immersed object.
Particle size – Physical size of particles, affecting separation methods.
Melting point – Temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid.
Bionics – Application of biological methods and systems to engineering and technology.
Trauma remediation – Medical and engineering response to injury or damage.
Prosthetic manufacturing – Production of artificial limbs and body parts.
Microphone – Device that converts sound waves into electrical signals.
Sound amplifier – Device that increases amplitude of an audio signal.
Computer speaker – Device that converts electrical signals back into sound.
Analog signals – Signals with continuous range of values.
Gravitational force – Attractive force between masses.
Amplitude – Maximum displacement of a wave from its rest position.
Attenuation – Decrease in signal strength over distance.
Resolution (imaging) – Detail level distinguishable in an image.
Burning power – Energy concentration capability of a laser beam.
Barges – Flat‑bottomed boats primarily used for cargo transport.
Tankers – Ships designed to transport liquids in bulk.
Tugs – Small powerful boats used for towing or pushing ships.
Propulsion system – System that produces thrust to move a vehicle.
Guidance system – System that determines path or direction of a vehicle.
Control system – System that regulates behavior of a device or process.
Larger PV arrays – Additional solar panels that increase power output.
Outsourcing (energy) – Contracting external providers for power services.
Small generator – Local generator providing backup or auxiliary power.
Freehand drawings – Drawings made without instruments, often for quick sketches.
Pictorial drawings – 3D‑looking drawings (isometric, oblique, perspective).
Handshake – Symbol often used for cooperation or agreement.
Beacon tower – TSA symbol representing leadership or guidance.
Balanced budget – TSA symbol associated with treasurer’s office.
Nashville, Reston, Atlanta – Example past TSA conference locations.
Line span – Distance between two supports in a line or cable.
Circumference range – Distance around a circular path.
Stakeout – Marking ground locations for construction.
Ctesibius – Ancient engineer associated with early mechanical devices.
Hero of Alexandria – Ancient engineer known for early steam devices.
Hydraulic systems – Fluid‑power systems using incompressible liquids.
Mechanical systems – Systems using moving parts and mechanical energy.
Electronic systems – Systems based on electrical circuits with active components.
Cooke and Wheatstone – Inventors associated with early telegraph.
Soule, Spencer – Historical technical figures referenced in test items.
James Watt – Engineer after whom watt unit is named.
Michael Faraday – Scientist known for work in electromagnetism.
Charles Siemens – Engineer known for work in electrical engineering.
Misty Lamb, Katrina Miller, Tonya Vandergriff – Names of TSA leaders referenced.
Azimuthal projection – Map projection preserving directions from a point.
Robinson projection – Compromise map projection with reduced distortions.
Lambert equal‑area – Projection preserving area relationships.
Aquaponics – Combined fish and plant farming in one system.
Irrigation – Artificial application of water to land.
Pond culture – Raising aquatic organisms in ponds.
Silver model, Pickett model – Fictitious model names used as distractors.
Stratosphere – Atmospheric layer above the troposphere.
Decaying forests – Natural environments containing decomposing organic matter.
Department of Homeland Security – U.S. agency responsible for domestic security.
National Transportation Safety Board – Agency investigating major transportation accidents.
Department of Labor – U.S. agency for labor conditions and employment.
Horizontal bar graph – Graph with horizontal bars to compare quantities.
Vertical bar graph – Graph with vertical bars to compare quantities.
Broken‑loop feedback – System concept where feedback path is interrupted.
Continuous‑loop feedback – System with ongoing, uninterrupted feedback.
Cattle breeding – Breeding cattle for specific traits.
Kennel breeding – Breeding dogs, often for show or traits.
Diesel engine – Internal combustion engine using compression ignition.
Gasoline engine – Internal combustion engine using spark ignition.
Wankel rotary engine – Rotary internal combustion engine design.
Unified Serial Bond/Service Bar – Incorrect expansions of USB.
Random Access Module/Actual Memory – Incorrect expansions of RAM.
Compact Disc Read Only Module – Incorrect expansion of CD‑ROM.
Trash Island/Ocean Landfield – Incorrect names for Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Perspective drawing – Pictorial showing objects as they appear to the eye with vanishing points.
Isotherm model – Fictitious CAD model used as distractor.
Silver model – Another fictitious CAD model distractor.
Freehand pictorial – Quick sketch to communicate 3D shape.
Decomposition – Breakdown of matter into simpler forms.
Entropy – Measure of disorder in a system.
Inertia – Tendency of an object to resist changes in motion.
Nanoparticle – Very small particle measured in nanometers.
Nanowhisker – Nanostructure shaped like a tiny whisker or rod.
Pencil, scales, gavel, star – Symbols linked to specific TSA officer roles.
Wireframe model – CAD model using lines to represent edges.
Surface model – CAD model showing surfaces without solid volume.
Solid model – CAD model with full volume and mass properties.
Great Lakes – Group of large freshwater lakes in North America.
Rivers and streams – Flowing bodies of surface fresh water.
Human‑made reservoirs – Artificially constructed lakes for water storage.
Steroid (distractor) – Non‑vaccine option in immunology questions.
Supplement (distractor) – Non‑vaccine option in immunology questions.
Vessel – General term for a ship or large boat.
Stakeholders – People or groups affected by an engineering solution.
Economic analysis – Evaluation of costs and benefits in monetary terms.
Environmental analysis – Assessment of environmental impacts.
Societal impact analysis – Assessment of how technology affects society.
Nuclear energy – Energy released from atomic nuclei.
Supercomputers – Extremely powerful computers for complex computations.
Space flight – Travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Internet – Global network connecting computers and devices.
Compton effect – Scattering of X‑rays by electrons.
Prismatic effect – Dispersion of light by a prism.
Bragg’s law – Relationship describing diffraction of waves in crystals.
Spirit of St. Louis – Historic aircraft flown by Charles Lindbergh.
Memphis Belle – Famous World War II B‑17 bomber.
LZ 129 Hindenburg – German passenger airship that crashed in 1937.
Direct current – Electric current flowing in one direction.
Cross current – Distractor term in power‑grid question.
Shanghai Tower – Very tall skyscraper in China.
One World Trade Center – Skyscraper in New York City.
Wuhan Greenland Center – Proposed supertall skyscraper in China.
AIASA – Former name of TSA (American Industrial Arts Student Association).
Plastic cement – Adhesive used for plastics.
Polyurethane – Versatile polymer used as foam, coating, or plastic.
Polystyrene – Lightweight plastic often used as foam.
Iron Age – Historical period after Stone and Bronze Ages.
Ice Age – Period of extensive glaciation.
Shanghai, Dubai – Cities associated with global tallest buildings.
LEAP option variants – Alternative expansions of LEAP used as distractors.
Protection device – Generic name for protective electrical equipment.
Electrical box – Housing for electrical connections.
Spike fence – Fictitious surge‑protection device.
X‑ray machine – Imaging device using X‑rays.
CAT scan – Imaging using computed axial tomography.
EKG machine – Device that records electrical activity of the heart.
Pascal – SI unit of pressure.
Watt (repeated) – SI unit of power.
Newton – SI unit of force.
Ammeter – Instrument for measuring electric current.
P‑N diode – Standard semiconductor diode.
Schottky diode – Diode with low forward voltage drop.
Substance, Discovery, Endeavor – Rover name distractors.
Innovation – Process of improving or introducing new ideas/products.
Invention – Creation of a new device or process.
Printing press – Machine for mass printing of text and images.
Hot metal typesetter – Machine that casts lines of metal type.
Screen printer – Printing device using mesh stencil.
Joinery – Craft of connecting pieces of wood.
Joint – Connection point between two or more parts.
Scaffold – Temporary structure for supporting workers and materials.
Trusses – Structural elements that create the shape and structure of a bridge.
Expendable mold – Mold that is destroyed to remove the cast item.
Armature – Inner magnet that rotates in an electric motor.
Demodulation – Process of separating carrier radio waves from an electrical sound signal.
Geosynchronous orbit – Satellite orbit that allows a satellite to stay in a fixed position over Earth.
Passive solar heating – Designing a home to take advantage of natural sunlight for heating.
Friction welding – Welding process that fuses a rotating part to a stationary part using speed and heat.
Vaccine – Substance designed to promote the development of antibodies for a disease.
Metals – Most common type of elements on the periodic table.
Buckyball – Carbon sphere of hexagons and pentagons resembling a soccer ball in nanotechnology.
Plasticity – Deformation of a material from yield point to fracture point.
Struts – Braces that resist compression.
Braces – Structural members used to provide stability.
Piers – Main vertical columns that transfer bridge load into the ground.
Overall gear ratio – Net ratio of driver to driven in a gear train (e.g., 50:5 with idler = 10:1).
Pyrolysis – Thermochemical process that breaks down biological materials with heat and reduced oxygen.
Digital signal processing – Processing of signals represented by 1s and 0s.
Angle of attack – Angle of the chord line of a wing relative to airflow.
Angle of incidence – Angle of the wing of an airplane relative to the body.
Astronautics – Study of manned and unmanned craft outside Earth’s atmosphere.
Elevator (aircraft) – Control surface on the rear horizontal stabilizer that controls nose up/down.
Flaps – Components on the inside rear of wings that adjust for additional lift at takeoff and landing.
X PRIZE – Prize fund that offered $10 million for a reusable private manned spacecraft flown twice in two weeks.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch – Area of marine trash in North Pacific about twice the size of Texas, mostly plastic.
Criteria – Parameters that must be met for a solution.
Constraints – Parameters a solution must fit within.
Feedback – Information received about the performance of a solution.
Redesign – Design process step that modifies and improves a solution.
Brainstorming rule – All ideas are valid and judgment is reserved until later.
Universal systems model – Input → Process → Output → Feedback.
Closed-loop feedback system – System that uses feedback to automatically control its operation.
Open-loop system – System that operates without using feedback for control.
Hydroponics – Growing plants in a nutrient‑rich fluid without soil.
Aquaculture – Growing fish and mollusks in a controlled environment.
Animal husbandry – Selective breeding of animals for specific traits.
External combustion engine – Engine in which fuel is burned outside the cylinders (e.g., steam engine).
Turbine – Device that turns fluid motion into rotational motion.
USB – Universal Serial Bus, a common computer connection standard.
CD‑ROM – Compact Disc Read Only Memory.
RAM – Random Access Memory in computers.
Class 2 lever – Lever type exemplified by a wheelbarrow.
Class 1 lever – Lever type exemplified by a pair of pliers.
Class 3 lever – Lever type exemplified by the human forearm and elbow.
Fossil fuels – Natural but non‑renewable energy resources (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas).
Biofuels – Fuels considered carbon‑neutral because emitted carbon equals absorbed carbon in growth.
Biofuel sources – Crops such as algae, corn, and soy that can be used to make biofuels.
Manhattan Project – Government project that led to development of nuclear power technology.
Reverse engineering – Disassembling a device to determine its internal mechanisms.
Tolerance – Permissible deviation from a specified dimension.
Area scaling rule – When a circle’s radius doubles, its area increases by a factor of four.
Blood‑spill cleaner component – Hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach used for disinfection.
Circle‑diameter construction – Method using tangent and its perpendicular bisector to find circle’s diameter.
Open geothermal heat pump system – System using naturally hot spring water circulated and released.
Ebony – Dense wood species that leads to highest shipping cost due to weight.
Cast iron – Metal with high compressive strength but very low tensile strength.
Density (mining) – Property used by placer mining to separate ore from surrounding sediment.
Biomechanics vs bioengineering – Biomechanics is a subfield within the larger field of bioengineering.
Human Genome Project – Project expected to benefit medical diagnosis and treatment.
Computer digital signal – Digital communication example between computers.
Digital vs analog sound files – Digital files can be copied repeatedly with less quality loss than analog files.
Electromagnetic waves in space – Can travel through interstellar space because they do not need a medium.
Doppler effect example – Ambulance siren shifts from high pitch to low as it passes an observer.
Wave frequency – Frequency equals 1 divided by period (e.g., 30 s period ≈ 0.033 Hz).
Beat frequency – Frequency difference when two sound waves interact (e.g., 90 Hz and 80 Hz → 10 Hz).
Refraction – Bending of light when it passes between media with different speeds, causing visual shift.
Binocular lenses – Use refraction to magnify distant objects.
DVD laser wavelength – Shorter wavelength than CD laser, giving higher resolution.
Hydrofoil – Marine craft that uses lift to raise its hull and reduce drag.
Parachute drag – Parachute slows vehicles by increasing aerodynamic drag.
Car torsion bar – Suspension component that resists twisting.
Battery storage – Component that provides continuous power for photovoltaic systems.
Assembly drawings – Drawings that show how parts fit together, including dimensional details.
TSA officer symbols – Pencil, scales, gavel, and star as symbols of various TSA offices.
Orlando, Florida – Host city for the 2017 National TSA Conference.
Work envelope – Defined 3D operating area of an industrial robot.
Screw press inventor – Archimedes, who invented the screw press for squeezing juice.
Pneumatic system – Power system for which Boyle’s law applies (compressed gases).
Roentgen – Scientist who discovered X‑rays.
Weber – Scientist for whom the SI unit of magnetic flux is named.
Amy Groner – TSA’s first female national president.
Physics work – Product of force and distance (W = F × d).
Mercator projection – Cylindrical map projection with straight grid, distorts polar areas.
Lever mechanical advantage – Ratio of input arm length to output arm length.
Non‑electrical material – Plastic is normally not used to produce electricity.
Polar ice caps – Location of most of Earth’s fresh water.
Half‑life – Time required for half of a radioactive substance to decay.
Working drawings – Detailed technical drawings with all manufacturing specs.
Angle of attack (airplane body) – Angle between wing and airplane body.
Watt (unit) – SI unit of power named after James Watt.
TSA creed principle – Belief that theories should be supported by proper evidence.
Soda cooling method – Bucket of ice water cools a bottle fastest.
CAD models – Wireframe, surface, and solid models in CAD systems.
Metals in nature – Most metals are naturally found in the ground.
Federal Aviation Administration – U.S. agency that certifies aircraft and pilots and runs air traffic control.
Pie graph – Best graph type for showing percentages of a whole.
Inscribed – Term for one figure drawn within another.
Transistors – Solid‑state devices that replaced vacuum tubes in radios and TVs.
People‑to‑machine communication – User pressing smartphone buttons to open an app.
Jointer – Tool used to create flat edges on boards for edge joining.
TSA vice‑president symbol – Handshake icon representing the office of vice‑president.
Compass (origin) – Instrument believed to have been invented in China for fortune telling before navigation.
Oblique drawing – Drawing type used to highlight one face or feature of an object.
NASA founding year – NASA established in 1958.
Sailing boats – Category including sloop, cutter, ketch, and schooner.
AIASA to TSA – Organization name changed from AIASA to TSA in 1988.
Machinable wax – Dense material used for small models and prototypes on lathes and mills.
Stone Age – Age when early manufacturing (grinding corn, weaving textiles) began.
Burj Khalifa – World’s tallest building at 2,717 ft, since 2008.
U.S. power grid – Uses alternating current.
Imaging spectrometer – Instrument used by MRO to detect seasonal water streaks on Mars.
Interference (communication) – Anything that makes a message less clear.
Photoelectric effect – Physical principle exploited by solar panels.
Gossamer Condor – First successful human‑powered airplane to fly a figure‑eight course.
Bioconversion – Process of obtaining energy from waste products.
Meters in a mile – Approximately 1,609 meters in one mile.
Risk analysis – Process that identifies and evaluates potential impacts of an engineered solution.
Mechanical energy – Combination of kinetic and potential energy.
InSight lander – Stationary Mars spacecraft that takes readings from a fixed location.
Thomas Edison patents – Inventor who filed over 2,000 patents.
National TSA conference 2019 – Planned host city National Harbor, Maryland.
Thomas Newcomen – Inventor of early steam engine used as stationary pump or motor.
LEAP (TSA) – Leadership, Education, Achievement, Personal Growth program.
Surge protector – Device that protects electronics from voltage spikes.
Jacob Perkins – Engineer credited with first vapor‑compression refrigeration cycle.
MRI – Imaging device that uses magnetic waves to create internal body images.
Joule – SI derived unit for energy, work, or heat.
Zener diode – Diode that can conduct in reverse bias, used in voltage regulation.
Opportunity rover – NASA’s second Mars rover after Spirit.
Brainstorming – Process of generating many ideas without immediate evaluation.
Tachygrapher – Early keyboard‑and‑lever machine, ancestor of the typewriter.
Buttress – Structure built against or projecting from a wall to support or reinforce it.
Static electricity – Stationary electric charge on an insulating material.
Potentiometer – Variable resistor used to adjust electrical resistance in a circuit.
Columns – Vertical structural members that support loads.
Foundations – Structural elements that transfer building loads to the ground.
Joists – Horizontal structural members supporting floors or roofs.
Chlorine bleach – Chemical often used in blood‑spill cleanup solutions.
Digital audio files – Can be copied many times with little quality loss.
Wing slats – Leading‑edge devices that improve lift at low speeds.
Garbage Patch – Common name for North Pacific marine trash area.
Reservoir – Artificial lake where water is collected and stored behind a dam.
TEAMS – TSA STEM competition on engineering and real‑world problems.
Nutraceutical – Food ingredient or food claimed to have medicine‑like health effects.
Nanotechnology – Technology using structures and particles at the nanometer scale.
Nanocapsules – Hollow nanoparticles that can carry flavors or drugs.
Capacitors – Electrical components that store energy in an electric field.
Isometric sketch – Technical sketch with axes 120° apart, showing three dimensions.
Navigation canal – Canal built when a river bend is too sharp for large vessels.
Four‑stroke engine – Common internal combustion engine with intake, compression, power, exhaust strokes.
Latency – Time delay between a data request and its receipt in a network.
Orthographic views – Standard front, top, and right‑side views of an object.
WAN – Wide area network made of many separate networks.
Trend – General direction of change in data.
Network administrator – Person who manages network performance, troubleshooting, and updates.
Centerline – Line symbol indicating axes of symmetry in drawings.
Torus – Doughnut‑shaped 3D form.
Erection drawings – Plans that show assembly details for steel construction.
Bandwidth – Maximum data rate a network or connection can carry per second.
Cryogenics – Study of the behavior of materials at very low temperatures.
Bioethics – Standards and rules guiding behavior in biological and medical work.
Finish mark – Drawing symbol indicating a surface must be machined.
Momentum – Product of mass and velocity.
GPS signal path – Route signals travel between satellites and receivers.
Mass production – Large‑scale production of many identical products.
Internal combustion engine – Engine in which fuel is burned inside the cylinders.
Point (geometry) – Location with no dimensions.
Productivity – Ratio of useful output to resources used.
Infrared communication – Wireless technology requiring line of sight, does not go through walls.
Pathogens – Microorganisms that cause disease.
Output (systems) – All products, results, or services that come out of a system.
Potential energy – Stored energy of position or configuration.
Video editing – Cutting and rearranging segments of video.
Variables – Quantities that can change in an experiment or system.
Immunization – Process of stimulating the body to resist a pathogen.
Perspective sketch – Most realistic pictorial drawing but the most complex to create.
Prototype – Working physical model that functions like the final product.
Organic materials – Materials derived from living organisms.
VPN – Virtual private network requiring encryption and authentication protocols.
Gregor Mendel – Scientist who showed traits in garden plants are pre‑determined and inheritable.
Microwave technologies – Wireless systems such as Bluetooth, satellite, and cellular.
Gravity – Force that pulls objects toward Earth’s center.
Density formula – Density equals mass divided by volume.
Airfoil lift principle – Lift occurs when pressure under wings is greater than pressure above.
Floor plan – Horizontal sectional view showing room arrangement.