Project Description:
This project brings together Physics concepts with Rube Goldberg machines. It challenges students to apply Physics concepts in a creative, unique way to make a machine that then completes a task. The project allows us to answer questions like: What is energy? What are different forms of energy and how can we use them today? What are simple machines and where do we use them to help us today? The project addresses the concepts of Conservation of Energy, Potential & Kinetic Energy, simple machines, and forces.
In my Rube Goldberg machine, it starts off with the potential energy of the ball being held in place to be let go. Then, the ball (releasing the ball) being let go down a track, turning into kinetic energy as it moves down the track, also being gravitational potential energy. Next, the ball hits the domino, which leads to a series of dominoes falling, being potential energy. As the last domino falls, it falls onto the black wire for the light bulb to turn on.
Requirements:
1. Must accomplish a simple task.
2. Must have an appropriate name.
3. Must execute at least 5 steps. All steps must be clearly defined and separated.
4. Must include at least 3 different simple machines.
5. The machine must work on its own, after being started.
6. Must include a written description of energy transfers.
7. Record your machine with video and post on your DP.
This project brings together Physics concepts with Rube Goldberg machines. It challenges students to apply Physics concepts in a creative, unique way to make a machine that then completes a task. The project allows us to answer questions like: What is energy? What are different forms of energy and how can we use them today? What are simple machines and where do we use them to help us today? The project addresses the concepts of Conservation of Energy, Potential & Kinetic Energy, simple machines, and forces.
In my Rube Goldberg machine, it starts off with the potential energy of the ball being held in place to be let go. Then, the ball (releasing the ball) being let go down a track, turning into kinetic energy as it moves down the track, also being gravitational potential energy. Next, the ball hits the domino, which leads to a series of dominoes falling, being potential energy. As the last domino falls, it falls onto the black wire for the light bulb to turn on.
Requirements:
1. Must accomplish a simple task.
2. Must have an appropriate name.
3. Must execute at least 5 steps. All steps must be clearly defined and separated.
4. Must include at least 3 different simple machines.
5. The machine must work on its own, after being started.
6. Must include a written description of energy transfers.
7. Record your machine with video and post on your DP.
Physics we are learning about the Law of Conservation of Energy – which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can be transformed from one form to another, but the total amount of energy never changes.
We are showing the phenomenon of energy transformations with our Rube Goldberg.
A Rube Goldberg machine is described as a machine that completes a simple task (like wiping your mouth with a napkin) by the use of very complicated chain reaction machine. .
We learned about 9 different forms of energy during our Rube Goldberg project, they are Nuclear, Gravitational, Elastic, Light, Sound, Wind, Chemical, Electrical, and Thermal Energy.
In our rube Goldberg there are many places we can see objects that have stored energy – Stored energy in an object is called Potential energy. You can find gravitational potential energy in different objects all over our Rube Goldberg. One place you can find potential energy was in batteries. Any object that is raised above the ground has gravitational potential energy. Can you find another place? We can use a math formula to calculate an object's Gravitational Potential Energy is mass multiplied by gravity multiplied height.
GPE = mgh
Another energy form you find in our Rube Goldberg is Kinetic Energy. Kinetic energy is the energy an object has due to its motion. Anything in motion has Kinetic energy. One place where you will see Kinetic Energy in our Rube Goldberg was in ball rolling down the track. To find an object's kinetic energy you would use the formula ½ time mass time velocity squared.
KE=½mv2
Most of our energy is transforming from Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy and back to Potential Energy OR Kinetic Energy is transferred from one object to another – for example when the marble hits the next marble OR when a car hits a marble or when a marble hits a domino or jenga piece. At the end of our machine you will see how kinetic energy completes a circuit which turns on a light OR off a light.
I was most proud of the last domino hitting the wire to make the light bulb turn on because sometimes the wire would be out of place and the light bulb won’t turn on, so I was proud about that.
We are showing the phenomenon of energy transformations with our Rube Goldberg.
A Rube Goldberg machine is described as a machine that completes a simple task (like wiping your mouth with a napkin) by the use of very complicated chain reaction machine. .
We learned about 9 different forms of energy during our Rube Goldberg project, they are Nuclear, Gravitational, Elastic, Light, Sound, Wind, Chemical, Electrical, and Thermal Energy.
In our rube Goldberg there are many places we can see objects that have stored energy – Stored energy in an object is called Potential energy. You can find gravitational potential energy in different objects all over our Rube Goldberg. One place you can find potential energy was in batteries. Any object that is raised above the ground has gravitational potential energy. Can you find another place? We can use a math formula to calculate an object's Gravitational Potential Energy is mass multiplied by gravity multiplied height.
GPE = mgh
Another energy form you find in our Rube Goldberg is Kinetic Energy. Kinetic energy is the energy an object has due to its motion. Anything in motion has Kinetic energy. One place where you will see Kinetic Energy in our Rube Goldberg was in ball rolling down the track. To find an object's kinetic energy you would use the formula ½ time mass time velocity squared.
KE=½mv2
Most of our energy is transforming from Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy and back to Potential Energy OR Kinetic Energy is transferred from one object to another – for example when the marble hits the next marble OR when a car hits a marble or when a marble hits a domino or jenga piece. At the end of our machine you will see how kinetic energy completes a circuit which turns on a light OR off a light.
I was most proud of the last domino hitting the wire to make the light bulb turn on because sometimes the wire would be out of place and the light bulb won’t turn on, so I was proud about that.