Summary
For this project, we had to build a complex machine to perform a simple task in the form of a Rube Goldberg machine. My teammates and I decided that our simple task would be to start our slide show presentation of the project.
We started be trying to draw the blueprints together, but we quickly realized that we tended to argue a lot, so we decided to each draw our own ideas and combine them afterwards. Then we started the building phase where we started at the top and built down. We got about halfway through when we realized that we didn't have enough time and we would have to shorten our blueprints and cut things out. We spent about 28 hours working on it, 7 of which took place outside of school. We included 5 of the 6 simple machines (lever, pulley, inclined plane, wheel and axle, wedge, and screw). And, when it was finally finished, we had a Presentation Night where we showed off our work. Reflection: Peaks and Pits
I think, over all, this project went very well. I, personally, did most of the work in the calculations area (using the formulas on the right). One peak (positive) about this project was that I learned how to use all of those formulas correctly.
A pit (negative) about this project was that at first my group didn't always get along and we argued a lot. A peak was that by the end we had learned how to communicate with each other and get along. Another peak was that we learned that if you try to drill a screw upside-down you will end up stripping the screw. A pit was that we stripped a few screws. Another pit was that we could have planned better so we wouldn't be rushed at the end of the project. But at least we got it done in time. |
Concepts
The force of an object is the mass of the object multiplied by acceleration due to gravity. In our project, we calculated the force of everything that fell and, as you can see in the video above, a lot of things fell.
The mechanical advantage of a machine is how much easier the task is when you use the machine. It is calculated by dividing the input distance by the output distance. We calculated the mechanical advantage of most of our simple machines. Potential energy is the amount of energy an object at a certain height has the capacity for. It is calculated by finding the product of the mass of the object, acceleration due to gravity, and the height of the object. We calculated the potential energy of each thing that fell in our project. Kinetic energy is the amount of energy a moving object has. When an object starts moving, its potential energy turns into kinetic energy. For example, when a ball rolls down an inclined plane, at the very top it has potential energy and no kinetic energy, but at the very bottom all of its potential energy has turned into kinetic energy. Another concept that played an important role in our project was Newton's 3rd Law. It states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So that means that every time something moved in our project, an equal force was pushing in the opposite direction. In our project, we also used math concepts such as arithmetic and algebra to solve the formulas used to calculate the quantities above. |