RUBE GOLDBERG OVERVIEW
*Some information may be repeated; visit the main Rube Goldberg Page to view physics behind each step and reflections. This was my update before I elaborated about the physics, so this focuses more on certain specific elements. Includes the change of the end goal, the problems with the funnel and video, successful collaboration within the group, creation of the zip line, and improvements concerning time and aesthetics. I told him I was doing random gravity checks.
Education and Learning Prior to Project
The first couple of weeks of school, our STEM class learned a lot about basic physic formulas, simple machines, and how to apply this knowledge to real situations. Doing many labs and experiments beforehand helped illustrate how different simple machines work and the way formulas can be used. These tests also proved to me that there can be a great amount of human error when dealing with calculations that can drastically affect the desired results. We used the engineering design cycle to format the process of creating our machine.
The Goal and Changes of Project
Our project was to construct a round-about way of completing a simple task. The Mystery Machine, our Scooby-Doo themed project my group designed and built, pours dog food into a bowl. Originally, we wanted to pour cereal and milk in a bowl, but soon realized that using any liquid would be difficult and messy.
At first, it was difficult to brainstorm ideas because we always found something wrong with each one. Eventually, we just wrote down all of the ideas and eliminated the most unlikely possibilities. After the first and second day of constructing, my group unanimously agreed that many of the steps would have to be revised or put aside altogether. Also, as we progressed, new ideas were shared and added into the project.
Problems And Difficulties We Had
The lever that launched a marble into a funnel was one of the most complex steps in our machine. It is difficult to operate because each trial has to land in the exact same spot each time. With many different factors, such as the placement of the lever, the point of the fulcrum, the height of the golf ball, and even which marble we use, can make this a very unpredictable action. At the end of the project, the catapult worked about 85 percent of the time.
Another difficult point in this project was getting a video of the entire contraption working from the beginning to the end. Little things would be slightly off and then we would have to reset the whole beginning part again. A couple of times, the golf ball would knock over the dominoes prior to the ideal time, so we built a barricade to block the ball. In order to get an accurate video, it took over thirty times. When we finally got a successful video, everyone in our group started cheering! Here is a link to YouTube showing the Rube Goldberg Machine.
Successful Parts in the Project
I think my group was very creative and contributed well to the designing of the project. It also took a lot of thinking of how we should change certain aspects in order to get the machine to function properly. I really enjoyed building this contraption because I didn't have to worry about contradiction within our group. For the most part, we agreed on the ideas, but the times when we need to compromise there was never an argument. A portion of the physical project that was successful was the zip line. I was skeptical at first, but it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be to assemble. Multiple times, the rope would come lose and since the tense decreased the mass did not travel down as easily. Because of this, we had to check and just make sure the rope was taped tight enough. Another part we added to improve the zip line was a notch at the top of the rope to keep the mass at the top before it was time to be released. After figuring out the right place and structure, the zip line was one of the most reliable parts of our machine.
Improvements
We definitely had certain aspects where we could have improved both as a group collaboration and the actual machine. In terms do the machine, we did not have enough time to paint and make it really stand out. Also, when construction, we used a lot of tape so certain attachments look a little messy. I think our group worked very well together. Towards the end, when putting together the presentation, it was sometimes hard to coordinate each part of the project. And the time management was an issue, so at the end we were very crunched for time.
Education and Learning Prior to Project
The first couple of weeks of school, our STEM class learned a lot about basic physic formulas, simple machines, and how to apply this knowledge to real situations. Doing many labs and experiments beforehand helped illustrate how different simple machines work and the way formulas can be used. These tests also proved to me that there can be a great amount of human error when dealing with calculations that can drastically affect the desired results. We used the engineering design cycle to format the process of creating our machine.
The Goal and Changes of Project
Our project was to construct a round-about way of completing a simple task. The Mystery Machine, our Scooby-Doo themed project my group designed and built, pours dog food into a bowl. Originally, we wanted to pour cereal and milk in a bowl, but soon realized that using any liquid would be difficult and messy.
At first, it was difficult to brainstorm ideas because we always found something wrong with each one. Eventually, we just wrote down all of the ideas and eliminated the most unlikely possibilities. After the first and second day of constructing, my group unanimously agreed that many of the steps would have to be revised or put aside altogether. Also, as we progressed, new ideas were shared and added into the project.
Problems And Difficulties We Had
The lever that launched a marble into a funnel was one of the most complex steps in our machine. It is difficult to operate because each trial has to land in the exact same spot each time. With many different factors, such as the placement of the lever, the point of the fulcrum, the height of the golf ball, and even which marble we use, can make this a very unpredictable action. At the end of the project, the catapult worked about 85 percent of the time.
Another difficult point in this project was getting a video of the entire contraption working from the beginning to the end. Little things would be slightly off and then we would have to reset the whole beginning part again. A couple of times, the golf ball would knock over the dominoes prior to the ideal time, so we built a barricade to block the ball. In order to get an accurate video, it took over thirty times. When we finally got a successful video, everyone in our group started cheering! Here is a link to YouTube showing the Rube Goldberg Machine.
Successful Parts in the Project
I think my group was very creative and contributed well to the designing of the project. It also took a lot of thinking of how we should change certain aspects in order to get the machine to function properly. I really enjoyed building this contraption because I didn't have to worry about contradiction within our group. For the most part, we agreed on the ideas, but the times when we need to compromise there was never an argument. A portion of the physical project that was successful was the zip line. I was skeptical at first, but it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be to assemble. Multiple times, the rope would come lose and since the tense decreased the mass did not travel down as easily. Because of this, we had to check and just make sure the rope was taped tight enough. Another part we added to improve the zip line was a notch at the top of the rope to keep the mass at the top before it was time to be released. After figuring out the right place and structure, the zip line was one of the most reliable parts of our machine.
Improvements
We definitely had certain aspects where we could have improved both as a group collaboration and the actual machine. In terms do the machine, we did not have enough time to paint and make it really stand out. Also, when construction, we used a lot of tape so certain attachments look a little messy. I think our group worked very well together. Towards the end, when putting together the presentation, it was sometimes hard to coordinate each part of the project. And the time management was an issue, so at the end we were very crunched for time.