The Meteor of Light
Event Location: Orange County STEM Saturday
Competition: Energy Transfer Machine
Division: 4-5
School: Thornebrooke Elementary
Team Name: Night Explorers
Project Name: Stargazer
Team Size: 4
Created by Grady (5th), Tyler (4th), Shane (4th), and Callum (4th) from Thornebrooke Elementary
Meet Jib, the stargazer. He is enjoying a night out looking at the stars when he realizes he doesn’t know where his tent is at.
He is going to use The Meteor of Light to turn on the light by his tent.
Watch this video to hear a detailed description of how energy is transferred in The Meteor of Light machine.
The Meteor of Light begins when the potential energy of the tiny meteors (also known as marbles) drop into the complex marble run gaining kinetic energy.
The kinetic energy becomes potential energy as the marbles travel through the loop the loop.
The kinetic energy of the small marbles transfer into the large marbles which roll down and hit the car causing it to roll down the ramp.
The car bumps into the first domino transferring the kinetic energy into a series of dominos. The last domino has a string taped to it. This string pulls the battery switch.
The closed circuit creates electrical energy to power a fan. The fan creates wind energy to push the boat across the water. The boat pushes the ball off its holder.
The ball uses gravitational force to fall into the cup causing the cup to drop which pulls a string.
The string is attached to the blue lever which causes the gray pole to drop. When the gray pole reaches the bottom the potential energy of the golf balls becomes kinetic energy as the balls roll down the ramp.
The golf balls hit the baseball causing it to roll down a ramp.
The kinetic energy of the baseball transfer into the brass weight which uses gravitational force to fall into the bucket.
The bucket drops turning on the light so that the stargazer can find his way back to the tent for a good night sleep!
Watch this video to see it in action!
Bravo. You young men are the future of our country….the engineers, the builders, the scientists and so much more. Well done. We are so very proud of all of you
Love,
Grandma and Papa