This project was an introduction to how to make and test scientific questions. As stated we made and tested our questions, we did this in groups. In the groups there were rolls that each member had, my rolls were researcher, refiner and communication directer.
Rube Goldberg
In groups of two to three we were had to made a plan for a Rube Goldberg that consisted of atleast 12 steps and at the end did something unique. Then we got to work making the base and collecting the necessary materials as well as setting up a plan for who would do what. We then whent through what seemed to be a neverending cycle of trial and error to make our Rube Goldbergs.
How It Works
A marble will go down a ramp and fall into a bucket that is attached to a pulley. One end of the string on the pulley is attached to a domino while the other is attached to the bucket. When the marble falls into the bucket the pulley will do its job and pull the domino that will fall and start a chain of dominos. The last domino will knock a heavier marble down another marble run. At the end the marble will bump into more dominos. Once at the end the dominos will activate a mouse trap that will activate a form of sling sho made up of a block of wood, nail and two screws for that posts to hold the rubber band. There's a car in between the posts, the car has a push pin glued on the front. Once the sling shot is triggered it will launch the car into a balloon filled with glitter, and then when the balloon is popped the glitter will go everywhere.
Talking Points
What hands on skills did you learn through working in your group? (construction, problem solving, collaboration, design, time management, etc...)
A: How to get the velocity of a marble rolling down a ramp.
Explain the flow of energy throughout the whole rube from start to finish, (did it work all with just the input or did you add more along the way? In what ways is your rube efficient or NOT in transferring energy from one step to another)
A: A marble will be dropped down a ramp, the marble will fall into a bucket transferring energy from the marble to the bucket and string. That energy gets transferred from the string to a domino. That will then set off a another and yet another and so on till the last one will transfer the energy to a marble and the force of the dominos hitting the marble will cause it to fall down onto a series of ramps gaining more energy in the process of falling down the ramps but also losing energy from sound and such. The marble will transfer to another domino but at the end the domino will fall and activate a mouse trap. That mouse trap will activate a rubber band sling shot mechanism, when the rubber band is released it will hit a toy car transferring the energy yet again and for the last time, all that is left is the car will be launched into a balloon, popping it on impact due to the pin attached to the tip of the car.
What was the hardest part of doing this project, how did you persevere?
A: The math and remembering the way to figure out said math, I asked for help and tried my hardest.
Personally what was your biggest contribution to the project?
A: The idea of what the rube should do as well as a start at how to get it to do that.