Rube Goldberg Machine
A Rube Goldberg machine is a machine that goes through a series of complex steps to accomplish a simple task. My group members and I, (Rebecca Obliites, Andrew Rice, and Hannah Persky) decided to create a machine that was going to water a plant. To start off, we created a schematic, which is a scaled drawing of our machine's plan. At the end of our construction period, we made a final schematic as well. Throughout our building days, we took pictures of our daily progress to create a construction log. Our machine also incorporated the use of five simple machines; a screw, lever, wedge, pulley, and incline plane. Take a look at the slideshow we created for specific details about our projects development. |
In total, our machine had twelve steps. Each step is explained in detail below.
Step 1: A 50 gram weight attached to a pulley went down a wire zip line with the acceleration of .44m/s^2 and knocked three balls off of a platform, causing them to fall onto a ramp, but hit a cardboard stopper.
Step 2: When the three balls hit the cardboard stopper, there was a kinetic energy transfer of .006J from the three balls one one side of the stopper hitting a steel ball on the other side of a stopper to roll down a ramp.
Step 3: After the steel ball received the kinetic energy, it began to roll down our first ramp with an acceleration of 1.1m/s^2, and a velocity of .82m/s^2. As the ball continued to roll down the ramp, it dropped into a black funnel with an acceleration (due to gravity) of 9.8m/s^2.
Step 4: After the ball fell through the funnel, it dropped onto our first lever with a force of .277N
Step 5: When the ball hit the first lever, it caused it to tilt in one direction, causing the steel ball to roll down in the other direction with an acceleration of 1.5m/s^2 and a velocity of .87m/s^2
Step 6: When the steel ball finished rolling down the lever from step 5, it dropped onto a metal ramp, (ramp #3,) and rolled down that with an acceleration of .37m/s^2 and a velocity of .59 m/s^2
Step7: When lever #1 (from step 5) was caused to tilt in a certain direction due to the steel ball dropping onto it, it hit lever#2 with a force of 2.77N, causing lever #2 to tilt as well.
Step 8: When lever #2 tilted, a mass of .o5kg rolled off in the other direction, triggering a pulley with a mechanical advantage of 1 to activate.
Step 9: The pulley dropped a .05kg mass and pulled up a .003kg wedge.
Step 10: As the wedge was lifted by the pulley, two small metal balls were released down ramp #4 (the metal ramp located on the same side of the board as the pulley.) These two balls rolled down with an acceleration of 1.90m/s^2 and a velocity of 1.28m/s^2
Step 11: When the two metal balls reached the end of the ramp, they hit a cup of water with .13J of kinetic energy.
Step 12: At the same time,when the steel ball reached the end of ramp #3, from step 6, it too hit a cup of water with of kinetic energy and the two cups of water drop into a funnel, go through a screw, drop down into a water wheel, and water a plant below.
To see all of these steps in action, watch the video below.
Step 1: A 50 gram weight attached to a pulley went down a wire zip line with the acceleration of .44m/s^2 and knocked three balls off of a platform, causing them to fall onto a ramp, but hit a cardboard stopper.
Step 2: When the three balls hit the cardboard stopper, there was a kinetic energy transfer of .006J from the three balls one one side of the stopper hitting a steel ball on the other side of a stopper to roll down a ramp.
Step 3: After the steel ball received the kinetic energy, it began to roll down our first ramp with an acceleration of 1.1m/s^2, and a velocity of .82m/s^2. As the ball continued to roll down the ramp, it dropped into a black funnel with an acceleration (due to gravity) of 9.8m/s^2.
Step 4: After the ball fell through the funnel, it dropped onto our first lever with a force of .277N
Step 5: When the ball hit the first lever, it caused it to tilt in one direction, causing the steel ball to roll down in the other direction with an acceleration of 1.5m/s^2 and a velocity of .87m/s^2
Step 6: When the steel ball finished rolling down the lever from step 5, it dropped onto a metal ramp, (ramp #3,) and rolled down that with an acceleration of .37m/s^2 and a velocity of .59 m/s^2
Step7: When lever #1 (from step 5) was caused to tilt in a certain direction due to the steel ball dropping onto it, it hit lever#2 with a force of 2.77N, causing lever #2 to tilt as well.
Step 8: When lever #2 tilted, a mass of .o5kg rolled off in the other direction, triggering a pulley with a mechanical advantage of 1 to activate.
Step 9: The pulley dropped a .05kg mass and pulled up a .003kg wedge.
Step 10: As the wedge was lifted by the pulley, two small metal balls were released down ramp #4 (the metal ramp located on the same side of the board as the pulley.) These two balls rolled down with an acceleration of 1.90m/s^2 and a velocity of 1.28m/s^2
Step 11: When the two metal balls reached the end of the ramp, they hit a cup of water with .13J of kinetic energy.
Step 12: At the same time,when the steel ball reached the end of ramp #3, from step 6, it too hit a cup of water with of kinetic energy and the two cups of water drop into a funnel, go through a screw, drop down into a water wheel, and water a plant below.
To see all of these steps in action, watch the video below.
Concepts
This Rube-Goldberg machine project was extremely useful for understanding the concepts of physics as well as extremely fun.Throughout the project, my group mates and I worked very well together and in my opinion designed and built a very good machine. However, during the design and building process, our group had some ups and downs. For starters, In the very beginning of the design process, Rebecca and I took on the roles of sketching our first schematic, and deciding the best ways to execute our construction plan. During this time, Andrew and Hannah took on more of the physical building roles, such as finding and cutting wood pieces, and drilling items onto our board. Due to this type of multi-tasking, we really managed our time well and kept a steady progress pace thorughout the project. Another thing our group did fairly well was being open to new thoughts and ideas from the other members in the group. For example, when we were deciding what simple task our machine was going to accomplish, my group and I had a great brainstorm session, and all ideas were taken into consideration and discussed. I feel like the level of acceptance within the group really helped with group participation. However, with success comes challenges. Our group as a whole didn't have too many challenges, except sometimes we would get off task and occasionally wander to there groups and talk instead of working on our individual project. This lead to some minor set backs within our building. If we stayed on task during all of our building days, we probably would have had more time to fine tune our machine before we presented it. The next challenge i noticed was more of a personal one. During the building process, I was very cooperative, but not much of a leader, I would always gladly complete a task, but rarely would create one. For example, during the construction process, my group was having a tough time getting one of our funnels to stay in place, and everyone was throwing out ideas. I only contributed a few new ideas, and as a result, the decision process took longer and we lost construction time. In the next project, I will try to take on a more proactive attitude, so my group and I can maximize the amount of time we have to get our job done.
Overall, the Rube-Goldberg machine project was a great success, and a great way to dive into the STEM marin program. I learned so much about group collaboration and how to apply physics in everyday life.
- Force- (equation) Force= Mass x Acceleration. It is calculated in Newtons (N)
- Velocity- (equation) Velocity = the change in distance over the change in time. It is calculated in meters per second
- Acceleration- (equation) Acceleration = the change in velocity over the change in time. Calculated in meter per second
- Work- (equation) Work = Force x Distance. It is calculated in Joules (J)
- Kinetic Energy- (equation) KE = 1/2 x Mass x Velocity squared
- Potential Energy - (equation) PE= Mass x the acceleration of gravity x Height. It is measured in Joules (J)
- Mechanical Advantage - (equation) MA= effort divided by load. No unit of measurment.
This Rube-Goldberg machine project was extremely useful for understanding the concepts of physics as well as extremely fun.Throughout the project, my group mates and I worked very well together and in my opinion designed and built a very good machine. However, during the design and building process, our group had some ups and downs. For starters, In the very beginning of the design process, Rebecca and I took on the roles of sketching our first schematic, and deciding the best ways to execute our construction plan. During this time, Andrew and Hannah took on more of the physical building roles, such as finding and cutting wood pieces, and drilling items onto our board. Due to this type of multi-tasking, we really managed our time well and kept a steady progress pace thorughout the project. Another thing our group did fairly well was being open to new thoughts and ideas from the other members in the group. For example, when we were deciding what simple task our machine was going to accomplish, my group and I had a great brainstorm session, and all ideas were taken into consideration and discussed. I feel like the level of acceptance within the group really helped with group participation. However, with success comes challenges. Our group as a whole didn't have too many challenges, except sometimes we would get off task and occasionally wander to there groups and talk instead of working on our individual project. This lead to some minor set backs within our building. If we stayed on task during all of our building days, we probably would have had more time to fine tune our machine before we presented it. The next challenge i noticed was more of a personal one. During the building process, I was very cooperative, but not much of a leader, I would always gladly complete a task, but rarely would create one. For example, during the construction process, my group was having a tough time getting one of our funnels to stay in place, and everyone was throwing out ideas. I only contributed a few new ideas, and as a result, the decision process took longer and we lost construction time. In the next project, I will try to take on a more proactive attitude, so my group and I can maximize the amount of time we have to get our job done.
Overall, the Rube-Goldberg machine project was a great success, and a great way to dive into the STEM marin program. I learned so much about group collaboration and how to apply physics in everyday life.
Next Project: Physics of Sports Videos