Attention Resistors, we have now been called upon to complete a very difficult and strenuous task, turning on a light bulb. However to do so in a very air resistant method, it is required to us the most elaborate and unnecessary way possible. Only then can we truly resist air. There are no designated materials except for a 9V battery and a light bulb.
Original Design
Modifications:
- The use of magnetism was too difficult to incorporate in the actual design, and had to be changed
- Originally, many systems involving a pulley and masses were required to start new chains. Because of the difficulty of this, they were changed to dominoes which are attached by string to a popsicle stick which would release a ball when the domino fell over.
-Catapults were removed because they were to difficult to create, calibrate and incorporate.
- Originally, many systems involving a pulley and masses were required to start new chains. Because of the difficulty of this, they were changed to dominoes which are attached by string to a popsicle stick which would release a ball when the domino fell over.
-Catapults were removed because they were to difficult to create, calibrate and incorporate.
New Design
Steps
1. Elastic band fires into the first train of dominoes. Elastic energy is gained by stretching the elastic band and is transferred to the dominoes in the form of kinetic energy.
2. The momentum of the first domino is conserved as it hits another domino in the train. This momentum transfers to a ping pong ball.
3. The ping pong ball heads through a tunnel and hits another domino train at the end.
4. The domino train falls, ending by pushing a ping pong ball.
5. The ping pong ball rolls around a circular track and drops onto a lower track, transforming it's potential energy into kinetic energy.
6. The ping pong ball travels on the lower track until it hits a domino at the end and causes it to fall over.
7. The domino is connected by string to a magnetic pendulum. When it falls the pendulum releases.
8. The magnetic pendulum hits a domino that begins a domino train.
9. The last domino in the train is connected by string to a popsicle stick. Tension in the string causes the popsicle stick to fall as the domino falls over.
10. The popsicle stick falls, releasing a ping pong ball which loses its gravitational potential energy, and gains kinetic energy as it travels around a circular track.
11. The ping pong ball falls off of the edge of the track and into a cardboard column with a ping pong ball. Conservation of momentum causes the momentum to transfer from the ball into the column which causes it to fall over.
12. The column falls over and hits a domino which begins a domino train.
13. The last domino train is connected by a tense string to a popsicle stick that releases when it falls.
14. The popsicle stick falls and releases a ping pong ball with gravitational potential energy to travel down a track.
15. The ping pong ball knocks into a domino which is connected by a tense string to a popsicle stick that releases when it falls.
16. The popsicle releases another ping pong ball with gravitational potential energy, around a circular track. The ball has circular acceleration.
17. The ball falls off of the track onto another ping pong ball.
18. Conservation of momentum causes the ping pong ball to move forward, where it hits a domino in the beginning of a train.
19. The momentum of the dominoes is conserved as the last domino pushes forward a toy car when it falls.
20. The toy car drives down a ramp and into another set of dominoes.
21. The last domino in the set is connected by a string to a paper clip. When the domino falls, tension in the string pulls the paperclip towards another, completing a circuit which causes a light bulb to light.
2. The momentum of the first domino is conserved as it hits another domino in the train. This momentum transfers to a ping pong ball.
3. The ping pong ball heads through a tunnel and hits another domino train at the end.
4. The domino train falls, ending by pushing a ping pong ball.
5. The ping pong ball rolls around a circular track and drops onto a lower track, transforming it's potential energy into kinetic energy.
6. The ping pong ball travels on the lower track until it hits a domino at the end and causes it to fall over.
7. The domino is connected by string to a magnetic pendulum. When it falls the pendulum releases.
8. The magnetic pendulum hits a domino that begins a domino train.
9. The last domino in the train is connected by string to a popsicle stick. Tension in the string causes the popsicle stick to fall as the domino falls over.
10. The popsicle stick falls, releasing a ping pong ball which loses its gravitational potential energy, and gains kinetic energy as it travels around a circular track.
11. The ping pong ball falls off of the edge of the track and into a cardboard column with a ping pong ball. Conservation of momentum causes the momentum to transfer from the ball into the column which causes it to fall over.
12. The column falls over and hits a domino which begins a domino train.
13. The last domino train is connected by a tense string to a popsicle stick that releases when it falls.
14. The popsicle stick falls and releases a ping pong ball with gravitational potential energy to travel down a track.
15. The ping pong ball knocks into a domino which is connected by a tense string to a popsicle stick that releases when it falls.
16. The popsicle releases another ping pong ball with gravitational potential energy, around a circular track. The ball has circular acceleration.
17. The ball falls off of the track onto another ping pong ball.
18. Conservation of momentum causes the ping pong ball to move forward, where it hits a domino in the beginning of a train.
19. The momentum of the dominoes is conserved as the last domino pushes forward a toy car when it falls.
20. The toy car drives down a ramp and into another set of dominoes.
21. The last domino in the set is connected by a string to a paper clip. When the domino falls, tension in the string pulls the paperclip towards another, completing a circuit which causes a light bulb to light.
Test Day>:
The machine appeared to be unsuccessful on the first attempt, due to steps firing early. This is likely due to the fallibility of using domino and popsicle stick triggers.
Methods of Improvement:
- Use different triggers instead of dominoes and popsicle sticks. These were often unreliable and fired early. Either use a different method entirely or modify this one. For example, the domino is attached by string to a way gate rather than just a popsicle stick required to fall over.
- Tape down the dominoes. This would make them easier to set up and it would also increase the accuracy of the popsicle stick triggers by making them more precise.
- Remove some domino steps and change them. The amount of domino steps in this machine are redundant. They should be changed by adding in a different mechanism.
- Tape down the dominoes. This would make them easier to set up and it would also increase the accuracy of the popsicle stick triggers by making them more precise.
- Remove some domino steps and change them. The amount of domino steps in this machine are redundant. They should be changed by adding in a different mechanism.
Conclusion
The Rube Goldberg Machine used to turn on a light bulb was a complete and utter failure. No not really. It probably would've worked better given we had more time to calibrate things and Mr. Peasley disclosed the "tape the dominoes" trick. Although some mechanisms could have been changed or done better, the concepts behind each step were sound in terms of physics. The instability of the machine was the cause of its failure. Knowing this, we can conclude that unless they are taped, domino and popsicle stick triggers are unstable and can fire early. If this was taken into consideration prior to the day of test, our success rate would have gone from incredibly low to just low. Level of improvement: incredible.