Rube Goldberg Machine
Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist who drew cartoons of crazy contraptions that did simple tasks like scratching someone's back or operating a napkin for them. Rube Goldberg machines are machines that use the least efficient way to cause a simple task to occur.
For my STEM class, I worked with my table mates to create a Rube Goldberg machine of our own. We had eleven work days to build a Rube Goldberg machine with 10 steps that incorporated 5 of 6 simple machines that we have studied. We also presented our machine at a public engineering presentation.
For my STEM class, I worked with my table mates to create a Rube Goldberg machine of our own. We had eleven work days to build a Rube Goldberg machine with 10 steps that incorporated 5 of 6 simple machines that we have studied. We also presented our machine at a public engineering presentation.
Some of the physics concepts and measurements we used in this project were force, kinetic energy, potential energy, work, and mechanical advantage.
Force is a measure of strength or energy related to or a part of physical action or movement
Kinetic energy is the energy of an object in motion. Energy can only be considered kinetic if it is a measurement of the energy of a moving object. The formula to find kinetic energy is mass multiplied by velocity squared divided in half.
Potential energy is the stored energy of an object. The "potential" an object has to do in energy. It is calculated using the formula mass X acceleration due to gravity X height the object is above the ground.
Work is the measure of an energy transfer that occurs when an object is moved over a distance. The formula for work is force X distance.
Kinetic energy, Potential energy, and Work are all related to each other. They are part of a cycle. Lifting an object up a certain height requires Work, that same object now has Potential energy at that height, and as the object falls the object has Kinetic energy. In fact, all three of these measurements equal each other at certain stages of the cycle. Work equals Potential energy when the object is at its highest point. Potential energy equals Kinetic energy when the object is just about to hit the ground, make the Kinetic energy also equal to Work.
Mechanical Advantage is the advantage of using a machine. It is found using ratios of input over output. Mechanical Advantage can measure distance or force (distance input over distance output or force input over force output). For example, when throwing a ball, it is advantageous to use a lacrosse stick because even though it requires more force, the ball travels further than you could have thrown on your own. Also, when jacking up a car, it makes more sense to use a machine than to try yourself because the machine has an advantage.
Simple Machines:
Lever: bar that moves on the fulcrum
Pulley: wheel with a rope around it for lifting things
Wedge: Something that blocks another object or something that cuts something else with an edge
Inclined Plane: a flat sloped surface
Wheel and Axle: generally a wheel attached to an axle so that these two parts rotate together in which a force is transferred from one to the other
Screw: inclined plane that is wrapped around a center rod
When we finished building our machine, we also had to calculate the physics behind each step. These following definitions are of some of the units of measurements used in the physics of our project.
Units of Measurement:
Newton: The standard unit of measurement for force
Joule: The standard unit measurement for energy
Potential energy: Energy an object has stored be because of its position.
Kinetic energy: Energy an object has due to motion. The reason why kinetic energy and potential energy is calculated to be the same is because at the top of an objects fall, the object has all potential energy, and as it falls it transfers its energy into kinetic energy so that when the object is just about to hit the ground the potential energy at the top of the fall and the kinetic energy at the bottom of the fall are the same.
Force is a measure of strength or energy related to or a part of physical action or movement
Kinetic energy is the energy of an object in motion. Energy can only be considered kinetic if it is a measurement of the energy of a moving object. The formula to find kinetic energy is mass multiplied by velocity squared divided in half.
Potential energy is the stored energy of an object. The "potential" an object has to do in energy. It is calculated using the formula mass X acceleration due to gravity X height the object is above the ground.
Work is the measure of an energy transfer that occurs when an object is moved over a distance. The formula for work is force X distance.
Kinetic energy, Potential energy, and Work are all related to each other. They are part of a cycle. Lifting an object up a certain height requires Work, that same object now has Potential energy at that height, and as the object falls the object has Kinetic energy. In fact, all three of these measurements equal each other at certain stages of the cycle. Work equals Potential energy when the object is at its highest point. Potential energy equals Kinetic energy when the object is just about to hit the ground, make the Kinetic energy also equal to Work.
Mechanical Advantage is the advantage of using a machine. It is found using ratios of input over output. Mechanical Advantage can measure distance or force (distance input over distance output or force input over force output). For example, when throwing a ball, it is advantageous to use a lacrosse stick because even though it requires more force, the ball travels further than you could have thrown on your own. Also, when jacking up a car, it makes more sense to use a machine than to try yourself because the machine has an advantage.
Simple Machines:
Lever: bar that moves on the fulcrum
Pulley: wheel with a rope around it for lifting things
Wedge: Something that blocks another object or something that cuts something else with an edge
Inclined Plane: a flat sloped surface
Wheel and Axle: generally a wheel attached to an axle so that these two parts rotate together in which a force is transferred from one to the other
Screw: inclined plane that is wrapped around a center rod
When we finished building our machine, we also had to calculate the physics behind each step. These following definitions are of some of the units of measurements used in the physics of our project.
Units of Measurement:
Newton: The standard unit of measurement for force
Joule: The standard unit measurement for energy
Potential energy: Energy an object has stored be because of its position.
Kinetic energy: Energy an object has due to motion. The reason why kinetic energy and potential energy is calculated to be the same is because at the top of an objects fall, the object has all potential energy, and as it falls it transfers its energy into kinetic energy so that when the object is just about to hit the ground the potential energy at the top of the fall and the kinetic energy at the bottom of the fall are the same.
Project History:
My group built a machine with an end result of shooting a Nerf gun. We had a slow start building our machine, only really beginning our project on build day 5. We completed the first two steps easily. Since my group had gotten a late start, when our next step (a pulley) refused to work, it was very frustrating and stressful. From this build day forward, as many members as were able came to the STEM classroom during lunch to work on the machine. The trouble with the pulley lasted through build days 6-8, until we decided that we had brainstormed enough ideas using the pulley and would try to incorporate the pulley in a later step. We decided this, and another member of my group and I stayed after school for another 2 hours finishing the next few steps. As soon as we switched the order of our steps, we were able to continue building successful steps. On build day 9 my group added a working pulley system and created a lever/inclined plane/wedge that would cause a string attached to a car to pull the trigger and fire the Nerf gun, completing the goal of our Rube Goldberg machine. However, when we finished our goal, we realized that we did not have the ten steps required to finish our project. So on build day 10 we brainstormed how we could add the two missing steps. We put together our last two steps on build day 11.
My group built a machine with an end result of shooting a Nerf gun. We had a slow start building our machine, only really beginning our project on build day 5. We completed the first two steps easily. Since my group had gotten a late start, when our next step (a pulley) refused to work, it was very frustrating and stressful. From this build day forward, as many members as were able came to the STEM classroom during lunch to work on the machine. The trouble with the pulley lasted through build days 6-8, until we decided that we had brainstormed enough ideas using the pulley and would try to incorporate the pulley in a later step. We decided this, and another member of my group and I stayed after school for another 2 hours finishing the next few steps. As soon as we switched the order of our steps, we were able to continue building successful steps. On build day 9 my group added a working pulley system and created a lever/inclined plane/wedge that would cause a string attached to a car to pull the trigger and fire the Nerf gun, completing the goal of our Rube Goldberg machine. However, when we finished our goal, we realized that we did not have the ten steps required to finish our project. So on build day 10 we brainstormed how we could add the two missing steps. We put together our last two steps on build day 11.
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Step 1: Golf ball rolls down set of inclined planes
Mechanical Advantage = 2.4 Step 2: Gold ball rolls down a screw Mechanical Advantage = 3.24 Step 3: Gold ball rolls down second inclined plane Mechanical Advantage = 2.6 Step 4: Golf ball falls into pulley system Mechanical Advantage = 1 Step 5: Pulley raises a lever with a car on it Mechanical Advantage = 1.24 Step 6: Raised lever allows car to go over a wedge and down an inclined plane Mechanical Advantage = 4.7 Step 7: Car hits rolled up sign Force required to make sign fall = 1.7 Newtons Step 8: Car connected to Nerf gun falls off table and gives enough force for the Nerf gun to fire Force required to shoot gun = 5 Newtons Step 9: Rolled up sign falls on lever making other side of lever go up Mechanical Advantage = 1.7 Step 10: Confetti in cup on other side of lever shoots upward Potential and Kinetic Energy of confetti = 0.00235 |
My Reflection:
Some things that I think went well are when my group banded together to get the project completely done and how we came together when we present our project in public. Also, when we realized how far behind our group was falling, we really made an effort to work on the Rube Goldberg machine all the time. We came in a lunch time. On a Wednesday, another member of my group and I stayed after school for another two hours to work. I was proud of my group for the effort made, even though it was last minute.
In my mind, the best moment of this project was presenting to the public. I think this because I felt like our project was probably the most impressive, and it worked brilliantly. That made me very happy. Also, my group had a confident and informative presentation that we were able say and present quite a few times. All in all, it was a very satisfying night to see the project wrap itself up. A few things that did not go so well would be when my group was not able to or focused enough to start building our machine until quite a few build days had gone by and also, mostly in the case of one member, our groups struggle to remain open-minded and more flexible.
At first when we were building our Rube Goldberg machine, we were easily distracted and very relaxed with our energy and building pace. This caused a lot of problems later, because we had to really struggle to meet our deadlines, up to the point where my group was still adjusting our project in the few minutes before we were presenting to the public because it was not working the way it should have done. Also, we as a group did not function together as a unit. Three of us, including myself, had a very hard time interacting peaceably with the fourth member of our group. This frustrating member and another member of my group spent lots of time arguing and being stubborn, and the third member was very passive and did not really initiate any action at all.
In doing this project, I learned lots of interesting and fun aspects of engineering and the physics involved in engineering. After completing the entire project, I can say that it was fun. While in the midst of it, the project was very stressful to me, but in the long run I believe that I have gained a lot of really useful skills that I can always have available to me later in life. I also was happy to get a better grasp on what physics actually is and means.
Things I learned about myself doing this (group) project:
I would say that our project made the most progress when I acted as the leader. That sounds very conceited, but I think that, at least in this group dynamic, that I was the most effective leader. I will try to keep that in mind when doing group projects later on. Maybe I won't take the leader role, but I will remember the communications skills I used during this Rube Goldberg project. I also realized that I tend to let things go until the last minute. I do have a tendency to procrastinate, but when I am only working with me, myself, and I, I can easily force myself to get it together and finish the project or assignment. That strategy did not work as well when I was part of a group. I don't believe the fact that our project was not finished until the very last minute was my fault exactly, but I did not make an effort to get the project going from the beginning. I only stepped up about half way through the building process when it became very stressful. So in the end, I learned both positive and negative things about my tendencies when I am working with a group that I will keep in mind in the future and try to make use of. When doing group projects in the future, or really any project, I will work on my timing and also on my assertiveness. This is because if I keep track of both of these things, my life will be much more stress free.
Some things that I think went well are when my group banded together to get the project completely done and how we came together when we present our project in public. Also, when we realized how far behind our group was falling, we really made an effort to work on the Rube Goldberg machine all the time. We came in a lunch time. On a Wednesday, another member of my group and I stayed after school for another two hours to work. I was proud of my group for the effort made, even though it was last minute.
In my mind, the best moment of this project was presenting to the public. I think this because I felt like our project was probably the most impressive, and it worked brilliantly. That made me very happy. Also, my group had a confident and informative presentation that we were able say and present quite a few times. All in all, it was a very satisfying night to see the project wrap itself up. A few things that did not go so well would be when my group was not able to or focused enough to start building our machine until quite a few build days had gone by and also, mostly in the case of one member, our groups struggle to remain open-minded and more flexible.
At first when we were building our Rube Goldberg machine, we were easily distracted and very relaxed with our energy and building pace. This caused a lot of problems later, because we had to really struggle to meet our deadlines, up to the point where my group was still adjusting our project in the few minutes before we were presenting to the public because it was not working the way it should have done. Also, we as a group did not function together as a unit. Three of us, including myself, had a very hard time interacting peaceably with the fourth member of our group. This frustrating member and another member of my group spent lots of time arguing and being stubborn, and the third member was very passive and did not really initiate any action at all.
In doing this project, I learned lots of interesting and fun aspects of engineering and the physics involved in engineering. After completing the entire project, I can say that it was fun. While in the midst of it, the project was very stressful to me, but in the long run I believe that I have gained a lot of really useful skills that I can always have available to me later in life. I also was happy to get a better grasp on what physics actually is and means.
Things I learned about myself doing this (group) project:
I would say that our project made the most progress when I acted as the leader. That sounds very conceited, but I think that, at least in this group dynamic, that I was the most effective leader. I will try to keep that in mind when doing group projects later on. Maybe I won't take the leader role, but I will remember the communications skills I used during this Rube Goldberg project. I also realized that I tend to let things go until the last minute. I do have a tendency to procrastinate, but when I am only working with me, myself, and I, I can easily force myself to get it together and finish the project or assignment. That strategy did not work as well when I was part of a group. I don't believe the fact that our project was not finished until the very last minute was my fault exactly, but I did not make an effort to get the project going from the beginning. I only stepped up about half way through the building process when it became very stressful. So in the end, I learned both positive and negative things about my tendencies when I am working with a group that I will keep in mind in the future and try to make use of. When doing group projects in the future, or really any project, I will work on my timing and also on my assertiveness. This is because if I keep track of both of these things, my life will be much more stress free.