For our first STEM project we made a Rube Goldberg Machine. This is basically a very complex machine built to complete a simple task, like all the ones in movies and cartoons. My group consist of Archer, Poh, and me. We divided our board in half and made it 2 feet tall, and 2 feet long across the base. Then, we began creating. We started with designing our project on paper. Our end goal was to dispense a pencil. We named our machine the Exceedingly Pointless Pencil Dispenser. Of course we had to include everything that was a part of the rubric. Having at least five energy transfers, at least five simple machines, and ten steps were three of the requirements. The simple machines we chose were four levers, one wedge, one axle and wheel, two pulleys, and two inclined planes. After meeting the requirements, we put our plan into action. It took us around six days, two hours each of those days, to finish. Along the way we experienced a couple technical difficulties and were forced to change our original plan a little bit. For example, we used a train toy instead of a roller coaster toy because the roller coaster was not working out. In the end though, everything worked out just fine. We were even able to add some aesthetic lights and indicators. When finished, we prepared our presentation. We calculated many different types of statistics for many different steps. The statistics we found include mechanical advantage, force, momentum, velocity, kinetic and potential energy, mass, and impulse. I had a lot of fun creating this project and look forward to the next project.
The reason we did this project was to understand the use a simple machines and the major physic concepts. The five simple machines we used were the lever, pulley, wheel and axel, inclined plane, and wedge. The physics concepts we included were work, kinetic energy, potential energy, force, impulse, velocity, mechanical advantage, mass, and momentum.
Work= Force x Distance. When you have a moving object, work is being done. Work is used in all the simple machines. Most of the time the machines use work to reduce the force someone has to use. They do this by increasing distance. You can also reduce distance and increase force, but since people want to make things easier, it is usually not used in this way. The work of one motion never changes itself, only F and D. We used work in our project for all over our simple machines. For example, we adjusted our levers to make them require less force. Work is used in the real world to move large objects easily.
Mechanical advantage is a concept that applies to all the simple machines. It is basically how much easier something is. Each machine has a different equation for MA, such as MA= Input Distance / Output Distance or Force without machine / Force required with machine. MA has no unit. If the MA=1, that means that you are not getting anything out of it because x1 gives you the same number. When you end up with a MA greater than 1 the machine makes your task that many times easier. When you get a decimal answer, it means that your machine requires either more force or distance, but you get more force or distance out of it. We used MA to measure if our machines made a process harder our easier. We then adjusted some of our machines to make the work harder so we could get more out of it. MA is used in the real world to see it a machine will reduce the required work enough.
The lever is a simple machine used to either reduce force, or increase distance. All levers have a fulcrum, input force (effort), and output force (load), but the positions of these components may change. Based on their location a lever may be a certain class lever. Levers can be represented by Work = Work, the = being the fulcrum. These two works are inversely proportional. You can also say Fd=Fd. When the force of one side increases, the force on the other side decreases. We used this to increase our distance on one side so that our force on the other side would be greater. Of course, the distance on the other side had to decrease as a result. We also increased the force on the input side so that we could get more distance out of the lever. Levers are used to lift heavy objects with ease. A teeter totter is a good example of a lever. This relates to my english class were we talk about balance between two sides of a discussion.
The pulley was another machine we used. Pulleys are most often used to lift objects. Based on how many pulleys you have you can find the MA. The more pulleys the easier, but the longer it takes because the distance traveled increases. We used a pulley to activate a lever. Our pulley with the two cups had an MA of 1. When the coin exerted a certain force on the cup, the same force was exerted onto the other side, and then the lever because the MA = 1. Pulleys are used to lift heavy cargo. The sunken cruise ship that was recently lifted used pulleys. Pulleys relate to my spanish class because we were learning the spanish word for lift.
Another machine we used was the wheel and axel. This machine acts just like a lever, except for the way it can spin all the way around. We used a wheel and axel to complete an electrical circuit, which started a train. A golfball pushed on one spoke of the machine with a certain force, and the other side exerted the same force onto the circuit completion wire. We know it was the same force because the MA was 1 because the distance on each side of the machine was equal. Wheel and axels are used as gears for bikes or other machines a lot of the time. This relates to my geography class because we were discussing transportation, suck as bikes, which have wheels and axels.
The inclined plane is another simple machine. It is basically a path for an object. If an inclined plane is set at a certain height, you can increase the length to decrease the required force. the steeper the path, the more force and less distance. We used multiple inclined planes, such as the one the quarter rolled down. We didn't have to worry about the force required because the ball was going down, and gravity doesn't get tired. The trails that circle mountains use inclined planes and increase the distance to decrease the force required. This relates to my geography class, were we talked about travel routes and easier paths.
The last machine we used was the wedge. A wedge can either split things in half, or stop an abject from continuing to move. When an object exerts a force on a wedge, the wedge exerts the same force back. If the object is being held from falling down an inclined plane, you must calculate the slope of the plane and use that to see how much of the objects force is going forward and how much is going downward. We had to do this when the wedge that held the quarter in place at the beginning was located on a downward inclined plane. Wedges are used to split trees with an axe, the axe being the wedge. They are also used used to hold objects from rolling down hills, such as the wood triangles under truck tires. Lastly, wedges can be jammed between two things in order to separate them. This relates to my english class in which we talked about wedging between to people to separate socially them.
Potential energy is how much energy an abject can possibly have. PE=Mass x acceleration due to gravity x height. In theory, all PE should convert to Kinetic Energy, which is energy being used. KE= .5 x mass x velocity squared. Based on how high an object is from its supposed floor, you can tell how much energy is still potential, and how much has converted into kinetic energy. We used PE and KE when we found the velocity of the golfball. First, we found the PE. We then said that was equal to the KE when the height was 0 and the PE was all transformed to KE. We then concluded that all the KE of the marble was converted to the golfball. Then, using the KE formula, we were able to find the velocity of the golfball. PE and KE are all around us. Everything has PE and everything moving has KE. This relates to my math class in which we use quadratics to find out facts about moving objects.
Another concept we learned was force. Force = Mass x Acceleration. When an object is at rest you use acceleration due to gravity. We used force when we saw if our objects would exert enough force to complete a task. For example, we discovered that the golfball exerted enough force on one side of the wheel and axel to push the other side up into the circuit completing wire. Force is related to my geography class were we are learning about plates exerting forces on each other.
We also learned about impulse. Impulse is force over a certain amount of time. Impulse = Force x Time.
Impulse can also be represented as the change in momentum of an abject. We calculated the change of momentum in the pencil when it was pushed by the train. The momentum of the train was the same as the momentum of the pencil because of the law of conservation of momentum. This is related to advisory were we talk about no fighting because if you get punched, you can reduce the force by increasing the time you are punched for. You can do this by moving back while getting hit.
Momentum is Mass x Velocity. It is kind of like how much humph something has. When two objects collide, momentum is never lost, it is either transferred completely or split amongst the objects. This is because of the Law of Conservation of Momentum. My project used momentum when we calculated the momentum of the train and then the impulse of the pencil. This relates to my geography class, were we talk about the movement of plates.
Velocity = Distance / Time. Unlike speed, velocity has a direction. We used velocity when we discovered the velocity of the golfball. We also used velocity to find the momentum of the train. We talk about velocity on the baseball team when we talk about how fast a ball is going.
Mass is how much matter an object has. It is used in many physics equations. We used it to calculate the force of all our objects at rest and the momentums. We used mass in my math class when we did our hands on slope project with water and marbles.
What went well with our group is that we were all doing different things at once. For example, Poh was making a light while I was working out the math. Also, we all shared ideas on the project. If you look at our project you can point out at least one thing that each of us thought of. The fact that everyone enjoyed the project is also another factor that went well.
One thing that I did well was I did not take control over the whole project. I let everyone contribute. For example, I let Poh build his light bulb. Another thing I did well was play my part in helping create the whole project. I worked hard and efficiently. I even did all the math for our group.
One thing I learned about myself is that if I am truly curious about a subject, then I can think and work very intelligently in it. I was very interested in all the math behind the project and I was able to comprehend it all easily. Another thing I learned about my self is that I can memorize my presentation speech easily if I know the math, because the rest is just putting the math into words.
One new skill i gained was how to use a powered saw. Mr. Williams taught me how to make some cuts with the saw. I also gained the skill of making a project look nice. I learned this when Mr. Williams told us to nail from the back and not the front.
One thing I could have done better was stay concentrated for longer periods of time. After completing one math problem, I would sometimes go talk for a little before I did another one. I will continue to try and increase my concentration skills. Another thing that I could have done better was organize my math work. I ended up with a lot of papers and sorting out to do in the end because I was messy with my math. Next time I will remember that and keep my math organized.
The reason we did this project was to understand the use a simple machines and the major physic concepts. The five simple machines we used were the lever, pulley, wheel and axel, inclined plane, and wedge. The physics concepts we included were work, kinetic energy, potential energy, force, impulse, velocity, mechanical advantage, mass, and momentum.
Work= Force x Distance. When you have a moving object, work is being done. Work is used in all the simple machines. Most of the time the machines use work to reduce the force someone has to use. They do this by increasing distance. You can also reduce distance and increase force, but since people want to make things easier, it is usually not used in this way. The work of one motion never changes itself, only F and D. We used work in our project for all over our simple machines. For example, we adjusted our levers to make them require less force. Work is used in the real world to move large objects easily.
Mechanical advantage is a concept that applies to all the simple machines. It is basically how much easier something is. Each machine has a different equation for MA, such as MA= Input Distance / Output Distance or Force without machine / Force required with machine. MA has no unit. If the MA=1, that means that you are not getting anything out of it because x1 gives you the same number. When you end up with a MA greater than 1 the machine makes your task that many times easier. When you get a decimal answer, it means that your machine requires either more force or distance, but you get more force or distance out of it. We used MA to measure if our machines made a process harder our easier. We then adjusted some of our machines to make the work harder so we could get more out of it. MA is used in the real world to see it a machine will reduce the required work enough.
The lever is a simple machine used to either reduce force, or increase distance. All levers have a fulcrum, input force (effort), and output force (load), but the positions of these components may change. Based on their location a lever may be a certain class lever. Levers can be represented by Work = Work, the = being the fulcrum. These two works are inversely proportional. You can also say Fd=Fd. When the force of one side increases, the force on the other side decreases. We used this to increase our distance on one side so that our force on the other side would be greater. Of course, the distance on the other side had to decrease as a result. We also increased the force on the input side so that we could get more distance out of the lever. Levers are used to lift heavy objects with ease. A teeter totter is a good example of a lever. This relates to my english class were we talk about balance between two sides of a discussion.
The pulley was another machine we used. Pulleys are most often used to lift objects. Based on how many pulleys you have you can find the MA. The more pulleys the easier, but the longer it takes because the distance traveled increases. We used a pulley to activate a lever. Our pulley with the two cups had an MA of 1. When the coin exerted a certain force on the cup, the same force was exerted onto the other side, and then the lever because the MA = 1. Pulleys are used to lift heavy cargo. The sunken cruise ship that was recently lifted used pulleys. Pulleys relate to my spanish class because we were learning the spanish word for lift.
Another machine we used was the wheel and axel. This machine acts just like a lever, except for the way it can spin all the way around. We used a wheel and axel to complete an electrical circuit, which started a train. A golfball pushed on one spoke of the machine with a certain force, and the other side exerted the same force onto the circuit completion wire. We know it was the same force because the MA was 1 because the distance on each side of the machine was equal. Wheel and axels are used as gears for bikes or other machines a lot of the time. This relates to my geography class because we were discussing transportation, suck as bikes, which have wheels and axels.
The inclined plane is another simple machine. It is basically a path for an object. If an inclined plane is set at a certain height, you can increase the length to decrease the required force. the steeper the path, the more force and less distance. We used multiple inclined planes, such as the one the quarter rolled down. We didn't have to worry about the force required because the ball was going down, and gravity doesn't get tired. The trails that circle mountains use inclined planes and increase the distance to decrease the force required. This relates to my geography class, were we talked about travel routes and easier paths.
The last machine we used was the wedge. A wedge can either split things in half, or stop an abject from continuing to move. When an object exerts a force on a wedge, the wedge exerts the same force back. If the object is being held from falling down an inclined plane, you must calculate the slope of the plane and use that to see how much of the objects force is going forward and how much is going downward. We had to do this when the wedge that held the quarter in place at the beginning was located on a downward inclined plane. Wedges are used to split trees with an axe, the axe being the wedge. They are also used used to hold objects from rolling down hills, such as the wood triangles under truck tires. Lastly, wedges can be jammed between two things in order to separate them. This relates to my english class in which we talked about wedging between to people to separate socially them.
Potential energy is how much energy an abject can possibly have. PE=Mass x acceleration due to gravity x height. In theory, all PE should convert to Kinetic Energy, which is energy being used. KE= .5 x mass x velocity squared. Based on how high an object is from its supposed floor, you can tell how much energy is still potential, and how much has converted into kinetic energy. We used PE and KE when we found the velocity of the golfball. First, we found the PE. We then said that was equal to the KE when the height was 0 and the PE was all transformed to KE. We then concluded that all the KE of the marble was converted to the golfball. Then, using the KE formula, we were able to find the velocity of the golfball. PE and KE are all around us. Everything has PE and everything moving has KE. This relates to my math class in which we use quadratics to find out facts about moving objects.
Another concept we learned was force. Force = Mass x Acceleration. When an object is at rest you use acceleration due to gravity. We used force when we saw if our objects would exert enough force to complete a task. For example, we discovered that the golfball exerted enough force on one side of the wheel and axel to push the other side up into the circuit completing wire. Force is related to my geography class were we are learning about plates exerting forces on each other.
We also learned about impulse. Impulse is force over a certain amount of time. Impulse = Force x Time.
Impulse can also be represented as the change in momentum of an abject. We calculated the change of momentum in the pencil when it was pushed by the train. The momentum of the train was the same as the momentum of the pencil because of the law of conservation of momentum. This is related to advisory were we talk about no fighting because if you get punched, you can reduce the force by increasing the time you are punched for. You can do this by moving back while getting hit.
Momentum is Mass x Velocity. It is kind of like how much humph something has. When two objects collide, momentum is never lost, it is either transferred completely or split amongst the objects. This is because of the Law of Conservation of Momentum. My project used momentum when we calculated the momentum of the train and then the impulse of the pencil. This relates to my geography class, were we talk about the movement of plates.
Velocity = Distance / Time. Unlike speed, velocity has a direction. We used velocity when we discovered the velocity of the golfball. We also used velocity to find the momentum of the train. We talk about velocity on the baseball team when we talk about how fast a ball is going.
Mass is how much matter an object has. It is used in many physics equations. We used it to calculate the force of all our objects at rest and the momentums. We used mass in my math class when we did our hands on slope project with water and marbles.
What went well with our group is that we were all doing different things at once. For example, Poh was making a light while I was working out the math. Also, we all shared ideas on the project. If you look at our project you can point out at least one thing that each of us thought of. The fact that everyone enjoyed the project is also another factor that went well.
One thing that I did well was I did not take control over the whole project. I let everyone contribute. For example, I let Poh build his light bulb. Another thing I did well was play my part in helping create the whole project. I worked hard and efficiently. I even did all the math for our group.
One thing I learned about myself is that if I am truly curious about a subject, then I can think and work very intelligently in it. I was very interested in all the math behind the project and I was able to comprehend it all easily. Another thing I learned about my self is that I can memorize my presentation speech easily if I know the math, because the rest is just putting the math into words.
One new skill i gained was how to use a powered saw. Mr. Williams taught me how to make some cuts with the saw. I also gained the skill of making a project look nice. I learned this when Mr. Williams told us to nail from the back and not the front.
One thing I could have done better was stay concentrated for longer periods of time. After completing one math problem, I would sometimes go talk for a little before I did another one. I will continue to try and increase my concentration skills. Another thing that I could have done better was organize my math work. I ended up with a lot of papers and sorting out to do in the end because I was messy with my math. Next time I will remember that and keep my math organized.
In the video above you can see that we had a problem with the levers. They kept not tilting all the way. In order to fix this error, we added some more weight to the other side. This way we were able to make the work on both sides equal.