MY RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE
OVERALL CONSTRUCTION:
For our Rube Goldberg Machine project, we many complex steps to perform one simple task. Which in our case, was cracking an egg. When we were first assigned this project we sat down with a piece of paper and wrote down possible ideas, many were trashed but all were necessary to have come up with our final result.
After we put together a rough sketch, we started the actual building process. This proved quite difficult to carry out and figure all the steps together accurately and in the amount of time. Some steps had to be thrown out completely from the design while others were just tweaked to fit in with the other steps. For example, we originally were going to have a tube of water that releases a ping pong ball, we soon realized that this was a very ambitious task and had to scrap the whole idea due to lack of time.
Another problem we faced was finding the correct materials for our project. This requires much searching the web and several stores, which proves to be very time consuming. As well as finding the right materials, with what materials we ended up with we weren't allowed to damage or drastically change in any way because they needed to be brought back home at the end of the project. This caused problems with the aesthetics of our project. In the end we made the best of the supplies we were given, while it certainly wasn't the prettiest, we put much work into the project and it turned out well.
CONCEPTS USED IN PROJECT:
A big concept used several times in our machine, was force, or mass times acceleration. Using this equation, we calculated the force of several parts of our project. For example, we calculated the the force of the marble hitting the support beam under the lever with 0.5 N.
We also included impulse and momentum in our project. Impulse, the act of applying force suddenly, is calculated using the formula I=Ft, or impulse equals force times time. We found the momentum of the car and the impulse of the mass on the pulley hitting the egg. While momentum, which describes how strong a moving thing is, is calculated using the formula, M=mv or momentum equals mass times velocity.
Another concept used in our project was potential and kinetic energy, PE equals mass times gravitational force times height and KE equals 1/2 mass times velocity squared. Ideally, in a world without friction potential and kinetic energy are the same. However, our world has friction so PE and KE are not identical, but more or less the same. Finding the PE for something also finds the KE.
POSITIVES:
I believe my group had many positives or peaks. Such as, we all contributed ideas freely and everyone in the group discussed each idea to see if it had potential and none were called stupid or made fun of. We supported each other and each others opinions. Everyone has at least one of their ideas represented in our final project.
After this project I have learned to not just want to participate but to actually participate more and to find confidence in my ideas. Iv'e learned that all ideas good or bad are equally important.
NEGATIVES:
While my group had many positives, my group also had a few pits or negatives. For example, my group had trouble with completing everything on time. While everything was turned in on time, it was a rush near the end. Next time we should work on time management.
We also struggled on dividing up the work equally. This is very important to work on so one person isn't stuck doing it all. The success of this task mostly relies on communication between group members. This is something very important to work on.
For our Rube Goldberg Machine project, we many complex steps to perform one simple task. Which in our case, was cracking an egg. When we were first assigned this project we sat down with a piece of paper and wrote down possible ideas, many were trashed but all were necessary to have come up with our final result.
After we put together a rough sketch, we started the actual building process. This proved quite difficult to carry out and figure all the steps together accurately and in the amount of time. Some steps had to be thrown out completely from the design while others were just tweaked to fit in with the other steps. For example, we originally were going to have a tube of water that releases a ping pong ball, we soon realized that this was a very ambitious task and had to scrap the whole idea due to lack of time.
Another problem we faced was finding the correct materials for our project. This requires much searching the web and several stores, which proves to be very time consuming. As well as finding the right materials, with what materials we ended up with we weren't allowed to damage or drastically change in any way because they needed to be brought back home at the end of the project. This caused problems with the aesthetics of our project. In the end we made the best of the supplies we were given, while it certainly wasn't the prettiest, we put much work into the project and it turned out well.
CONCEPTS USED IN PROJECT:
A big concept used several times in our machine, was force, or mass times acceleration. Using this equation, we calculated the force of several parts of our project. For example, we calculated the the force of the marble hitting the support beam under the lever with 0.5 N.
We also included impulse and momentum in our project. Impulse, the act of applying force suddenly, is calculated using the formula I=Ft, or impulse equals force times time. We found the momentum of the car and the impulse of the mass on the pulley hitting the egg. While momentum, which describes how strong a moving thing is, is calculated using the formula, M=mv or momentum equals mass times velocity.
Another concept used in our project was potential and kinetic energy, PE equals mass times gravitational force times height and KE equals 1/2 mass times velocity squared. Ideally, in a world without friction potential and kinetic energy are the same. However, our world has friction so PE and KE are not identical, but more or less the same. Finding the PE for something also finds the KE.
POSITIVES:
I believe my group had many positives or peaks. Such as, we all contributed ideas freely and everyone in the group discussed each idea to see if it had potential and none were called stupid or made fun of. We supported each other and each others opinions. Everyone has at least one of their ideas represented in our final project.
After this project I have learned to not just want to participate but to actually participate more and to find confidence in my ideas. Iv'e learned that all ideas good or bad are equally important.
NEGATIVES:
While my group had many positives, my group also had a few pits or negatives. For example, my group had trouble with completing everything on time. While everything was turned in on time, it was a rush near the end. Next time we should work on time management.
We also struggled on dividing up the work equally. This is very important to work on so one person isn't stuck doing it all. The success of this task mostly relies on communication between group members. This is something very important to work on.