Solving problems the Rube Goldberg way

As a culminating activity for our science unit exploring the ways in which energy is transferred, Team Gibbas scientists designed and built machines similar to Rube Goldberg's devices.  Students researched Rube Goldberg's devices then chose a problem or task for their machine to complete.

Check out the pictures and student written descriptions of machines.

Akaden

We made a Rube Goldberg machine that is called Akaden that allowed us to smash a bug. At first, we tried to make the Akaden open a door. But, then the force of the shoe swinging and hitting the door was not enough to push the door open. So then, we went through a lot of thinking. But finally, we thought of what the Akaden can do. We decided to make the Akaden smash a bug. It took lots of attempts for it to still not work but it is fine. It started with a wheel that was hanging from a rope of tape that allowed it to zipline down a jump rope. Then, it when it got to the end it hit  some giant boards that acted as Domino's. Then the last domino fell on a piece of tape that was holding a shoe from falling that caused the shoe to fall and smash the bug. (a clothespin acted as the bug).

Sharpening a pencil

We designed our Rube Goldberg machine to sharpen a pencil automatically. A fan was supposed to push down some dominoes and push a pencil on a train into the sharpener. Were we successful? No. Unfortunately we could not get the contraption to work. But we had a lot of fun making it and showing it to the class.

Open Desk Machine

Our objective for the Rube Goldberg machine was to open a desk. It starts with closing the door which made a rock hit dominoes that hit a ball. The ball went down a tube and hit another ball which went down another tube and hit more domino's. Then they hit a ball to knock over a pole and the pole would hit the button to turn an air pump on and blow up a beach ball to open the desk. Our machine was successful until the ball didn’t hit the stick as hard as we needed it to so the pump didn’t turn on. The ball did not blow up so we had to press the button ourselves.  

                  The Ultimate Paper Passer

Our machine included wood, nails, dominoes, string, a tennis ball, a box, a pulley, and paper. The problem we were trying to solve was passing out papers and taking the spot of the teacher or the paper passers. Our machine didn't work at first because the papers were getting stuck in the box so somebody started pushing the papers so they could get out onto the desk. In the end our invention worked with some help.

Monkey C Monkey Flip a Page

Our Rube Goldberg machine was called Monkey C Monkey Flip a Page. Its purpose was to flip a page on an easel. The materials we used were; an easel, meter sticks, rope, yellow duck tape, a soccer ball, scissors, rubber/bouncy balls, a chair, string, and a pulley. The pulley did not work for us because it was set up wrong. Our machine starting off by rolling a soccer ball down the meter stick ramp, then the soccer ball would hit a pair of scissors tied to a piece of string which would make it swing and break a weak piece of tape that was attached to an easel which was also attached to a light bouncy ball and the light bouncy ball was attached to a page on the easel. Next, we were supposedly supposed to use a pulley that was taped to two big bouncy balls and the machine was supposed flip the page using the pulley. Unfortunately our machine was not successful.

The Bell Goes Ring-a-Ding-Ding

Our machine was supposed to ring a bell. We did that by rolling a marble down a pvc pipe. The marble would go into a blue track and when the marble came out of the blue tube it would hit some dominoes that hit a car and the car drove and hit a bell. That is how our Rube Goldberg machine worked. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL 10 TIMES! We were really proud of our work. We each brought in our own materials and it went very well.

Project Open Sesame

Our problem was to open a book and we succeeded one and a half times. It worked by us knocking a domino down and then other dominoes would all fall down knocking a few dominoes tied together. Then the tied together dominoes would  fall down and knock the book down flat on the desk, opened.

Deskinator

Our problem was to open a desk. We made a paper ramp that balanced on six yard sticks that were taped together. The paper ramp also balanced on books. Then we put a paper ball on the ramp and it  was supposed to hit dominoes and push another ball. Next the other ball was supposed to hit books but instead it hit a heavy ball. The ball was attached to a pulley and on the other side of the pulley it was attached to the inside cover of the desk. Unfortunately we did not succeed but we hope next time we will.

Ring a-ling ling bell

Our Rube Goldberg machine was called Ring a-ling ling bell. It was supposed to be a simple way to push in a chair. But we didn't have enough time to build it, so we just changed our idea to a simple way to ring a bell. But we didn't like that idea so we changed it to Ring a-ling  ling bell. A simple way to push your chair was paper towel tubes that would have a bouncy ball in it, and the bouncy ball go down the track and hit a basketball which would hit a dictionary which would hit the legs on a chair and push in the chair. Like we said we had no time for that. In Ring a-ling ling bell, lots of paper towel tubes were attached to each other  to make a track. Somebody would hold up a bell and this time a marble would hit the bell. Then the bell was supposed to ring. We were very successful. We had around twenty fails and about six successes. We are very proud about our work. We also had lots of fun doing the Rube Goldberg machine!