Energy Transfer Machine by Dhruv
Material List
- Wooden Board
- Cardboard tracks
- Painters Tape
- Empty Water Bottle
- String
- Golf Ball
- Toy Ball
- Toy Car
- Rubber Band
- Small Basket
- Skewer Stick
- Plastic Cup
- LED Light
- 3 Volt Power Adapter instead of battery
- Picture frames hook
Introduction
This project is based on Rube Goldberg”s machine. A Rube Goldberg machine, named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg. It is based on a chain reaction-type machine or contraption intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overly complicated way.
How It Works
This machine starts with a golf ball rolling from the top. The stationary golf ball has Potential Energy, due to the Gravitational Pull, it transforms into Kinetic Energy and starts rolling on the cardboard tracks. After rolling through 4 zig-zag tracks, due to the Gravitational Pull & Kinetic Energy, it falls in a bottle cage. The weight of the golf ball & Gravitational Pull, makes it fall into a bottle cage and pushes the bottle cage downwards creating Mechanical Energy. This bottle cage is connected to a balance track through a string and pully. Through the string, the balance track is pulled upwards. The balance track has two types of balls on the other side. When the track is pulled upwards, one ball falls into a basket and the other one triggers the LED switch due to Mechanical Energy. Due to the weight of the ball, the basket is pushed downwards and triggers the slingshot. The slingshot is made out of a rubber band. The Slingshot uses elastic potential energy to push a toy car into a cup.
What a great design. Nice job of utilizing recycled materials. Your video explanation of your Energy Transfer Machine was very concise. Great project.
Great job Dhruv with the display and with explaining energy transfer at each step. So proud of you!
The ball cage was a cool creation, it was like a little elevator for the ball.
Dhruv, I love how you used common materials to make this! Very creative and you explained all parts so well. Proud of you!
Ms. Carter mentioned it already, but I also really appreciate that you are explaining the science behind each step of the Energy Transfer Machine. I like the compact design. I look forward to seeing this (or something even bigger and better) in April at the in-person Energy Whiz, if you are interested.
Nice work, Dhruv! Your explanation of energy is very thoughtful and your video includes great detail.