the_mystery_machine.pptx | |
File Size: | 795 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
The past month that we spent constructing our Rube Goldberg machines was a pain, but it was also a fun, challenging experience. My group spent the first few days drawing a simple blueprint. After we shared it with our peers, we made some adjustments and got right to work. The first of our ten steps was a wheel and axle, then an inclined plane, followed by a lever which catapulted a marble into a funnel. The marble rolled down the funnel into a pulley system which set loose a zipline. The zipline knocked down some dominoes and hit a car (the Mystery Machine) that rolled down a ramp to topple progressively larger wooden blocks (Scooby Snack boxes). Our end result was to pour “Scooby Snacks” to feed Scooby, as you can see in the video. After building and perfecting our machine, we spent a week on our presentation which included calculations involving the different physics used in the machine, a digital power point, an oral presentation, and a final to-scale blueprint of the machine. All together, it took us about a month to complete.
Reflection
Overall, I think my group and I did very well in every aspect of the project, although we didn't do a perfect job. We constructed and presented our machine fantastically but could have worked on multitasking and time management better. Personally, one peak was learning how to present better. For example, the very first time I presented my part of the project I wasn't confident in myself, I used filler words, and I looked down a lot. But after some constructive criticism and practice, I improved in all those areas and became more comfortable speaking in front of audiences. Another peak was gaining patience. Occasionally I would get frustrated that something wasn't going well but I learned to take a deep breath and relax, which made things more fun. An example of this is when the catapult didn't launch the marble in the right spot so I just relaxed and took a step back which helped. A pit for me was staying on task. Sometimes I would wander off to talk to my friends from other groups or look at other machines which took away from productivity, so that is one thing I will work on next time. Another pit for me would be time management. Early on in the project I didn't work as much so I ended up doing some things last minute. An example is the final blueprint which I completed the day of the presentation, so next time I will manage my time better.
Concepts
Reflection
Overall, I think my group and I did very well in every aspect of the project, although we didn't do a perfect job. We constructed and presented our machine fantastically but could have worked on multitasking and time management better. Personally, one peak was learning how to present better. For example, the very first time I presented my part of the project I wasn't confident in myself, I used filler words, and I looked down a lot. But after some constructive criticism and practice, I improved in all those areas and became more comfortable speaking in front of audiences. Another peak was gaining patience. Occasionally I would get frustrated that something wasn't going well but I learned to take a deep breath and relax, which made things more fun. An example of this is when the catapult didn't launch the marble in the right spot so I just relaxed and took a step back which helped. A pit for me was staying on task. Sometimes I would wander off to talk to my friends from other groups or look at other machines which took away from productivity, so that is one thing I will work on next time. Another pit for me would be time management. Early on in the project I didn't work as much so I ended up doing some things last minute. An example is the final blueprint which I completed the day of the presentation, so next time I will manage my time better.
Concepts
- Force- Force can be described as a push or pull. It is calculated by multiplying mass and acceleration. When the golf ball hit the lever it had a certain amount of force.
- Speed/Velocity- Speed is the amount of distance an object covers in a given amount of time, and velocity is speed with a direction. They are calculated by dividing distance and time. When the car rolls down the ramp, it has a certain speed and velocity.
- Mechanical Advantage- Mechanical advantage is how much easier the machine makes work. This is calculated by dividing the input distance by the output distance. The lever that launched the marble had a certain mechanical advantage.
- Work- Work is the amount of force applied to move an object a certain distance. It is calculated by multiplying force and distance. When the marble moves the cup on the other side of the pulley, it is doing work.
- Potential Energy- Potential energy is the energy of an object in a certain position. PE is calculated by multiplying mass, acceleration due to gravity, and the height of the object. When the car is at the top of the ramp it has a certain amount of PE.
- Kinetic Energy- Kinetic energy is how much energy an object has due to motion. It is calculated by multiplying 1/2 mass and velocity squared. When the car is moving down the ramp it has a certain amount of KE. Work, the change in PE, and the change in KE are all equal.
- Impulse- Impulse is the amount of force applied for a given amount of time. It is calculated by multiplying force and time. When a domino hits another domino there is an impulse.
- Momentum- Momentum is how much energy a moving object carries with it. It is calculated by multiplying mass and velocity. When the golf ball rolls down the inclined plane it has momentum.
- Acceleration- Acceleration is the rate of change in an object's motion. It is calculated by dividing the change in velocity and the change in time. As the car rolls down the ramp it accelerates.