Our goal was to create a functional Rube Goldberg machine. For those who don't know what a Rube Goldberg machine is, it is a complex machine in which a series of devices that perform simple tasks are connected together to create a domino effect in which activating one device that starts the next device in the sequence. Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist. His drawings used simple gadgets and household items that were already being used, but it had an creative, logical progression to them. His inventions became so widely known that the Webster Dictionary added the term “Rube Goldberg” to its listings, defining it as “accomplishing by extremely complex, ways of what seemingly could be done simply.” In the words of the inventor, the machines were a “symbol of man’s capacity for exerting maximum effort to achieve minimal results.” He believed that most people preferred doing things the hard way than using a more simple and direct path to accomplish a goal. The end goal of our machine was to feed our lion Leo. We had a theme of nature, so we painted lots of things green, we had lots of animals, and painted some trees to go along with our theme.
Here is a video of our Machine
Key Terms
Speed (s): Rate of distance covered, scalar quantity measured in m/s. s=d/t
Acceleration (a): the rate of change of velocity per unit of time, measured in m/s².
a= v(final)-v(initial)/time
Mass (m): The amount of matter and weight of atoms in an object, measured in Kilograms (Kg).
Force (F): The intensity of body or system, producing or tending to produce a change in movement or in shape or other effects. (A push or pull on an object).
F=ma, measured in Newtons N
Time (t): Progress of events, measured in seconds, s.
Distance (d): Amount of space between two points, measured in meters, m.
Velocity(v): Rate of distance travelled in a direction, a vector quantity measured in meters/second or m/s and direction.
v=d/t
Mechanical Advantage(Ma): The amount of how much easier a machine makes a task easier
Acceleration (a): the rate of change of velocity per unit of time, measured in m/s².
a= v(final)-v(initial)/time
Mass (m): The amount of matter and weight of atoms in an object, measured in Kilograms (Kg).
Force (F): The intensity of body or system, producing or tending to produce a change in movement or in shape or other effects. (A push or pull on an object).
F=ma, measured in Newtons N
Time (t): Progress of events, measured in seconds, s.
Distance (d): Amount of space between two points, measured in meters, m.
Velocity(v): Rate of distance travelled in a direction, a vector quantity measured in meters/second or m/s and direction.
v=d/t
Mechanical Advantage(Ma): The amount of how much easier a machine makes a task easier
Our Steps
Step 1: We had a tennis ball with a mass of 58.5 grams roll down an inclined plane with a mechanical advantage of 3.625.
Step 2:The tennis ball hit a lever with a downward acceleration of 0.16m/s2.
Step 3:The lever hit another lever that pulls up a 12 gram wood block with a needle drilled into it at a velocity of 0.18m/s.
Step 4:A wedge pops a water balloon with a metal ball (.04 grams) inside it with a mechanical advantage of 13. 5.
Step 5: The metal ball from the balloon rolls down an inclined plane with a velocity of .62 m/s and a mechanical advantage of 4.25.
Step 6:The ball hits a magnet tied to a rope swing that swings with a force of 10.5N.
Step 7: The magnet hits another magnet with a ball (.04 grams)next to it and the ball rolls down an inclined plane with a mechanical advantage
of 2.2, and a velocity of .2m/s
Step 8: The same ball rolls down another inclined plane with a mechanical advantage of 2.5, and a velocity of 0.51 m/s9.
Step 9:The ball rolls down a screw in which the ball rolls at a velocity of 0.54m/s.
Step 10: The ball falls into a cup and the weight of the ball pulls up a pulley with a nail inside that pulls up with a force of 0.15N.
Step 11: The nail inside the wood is a wedge that stabs a balloon with food for our lion Leo with a down at a force of 0.18N.
Step 2:The tennis ball hit a lever with a downward acceleration of 0.16m/s2.
Step 3:The lever hit another lever that pulls up a 12 gram wood block with a needle drilled into it at a velocity of 0.18m/s.
Step 4:A wedge pops a water balloon with a metal ball (.04 grams) inside it with a mechanical advantage of 13. 5.
Step 5: The metal ball from the balloon rolls down an inclined plane with a velocity of .62 m/s and a mechanical advantage of 4.25.
Step 6:The ball hits a magnet tied to a rope swing that swings with a force of 10.5N.
Step 7: The magnet hits another magnet with a ball (.04 grams)next to it and the ball rolls down an inclined plane with a mechanical advantage
of 2.2, and a velocity of .2m/s
Step 8: The same ball rolls down another inclined plane with a mechanical advantage of 2.5, and a velocity of 0.51 m/s9.
Step 9:The ball rolls down a screw in which the ball rolls at a velocity of 0.54m/s.
Step 10: The ball falls into a cup and the weight of the ball pulls up a pulley with a nail inside that pulls up with a force of 0.15N.
Step 11: The nail inside the wood is a wedge that stabs a balloon with food for our lion Leo with a down at a force of 0.18N.
Our Presentation
Our Original Blueprint
Our Present Blueprint
Reflection
I think during this project I learned a lot of skills. I learned how to cooperate with people better, lots of vocabulary, how to compromise better, time management, presentation skills, collaboration skills, and construction skills. I think that 95% of our whole project worked efficiently. We were productive all 10 of the days. My goal to work on for this project was attitude and sharing the work load. I think I improved on these very much. I tried every day to ask my fellow group members how their day was, and if someone asked me how to do something, I would tell them how to do it instead of doing it myself. In the beginning every day during the construction, I would sit back and let the other people do the work, and then jump in. I feel like a lot of stuff worked. Our construction was very easy and fun. Our cooperation was one of the best things that worked. We would compromise on every thing or would incorporate ideas in a different way. The only things that didn't go well was the amount of times it actually worked successfully. It probably worked a total of 3 times. None of which we caught on camera. I would definitely change the ball inside the balloons that gets popped. The amount of work it put into setting the machine up was very time consuming. It took really long to put the ball inside of the balloon, it kept popping before we would even start the machine, and when we ran the machine, the balloons wouldn't pop. Overall, I am very proud of the grade I got on this project, and the hard work me and my team put into making it.