Rube Goldberg Machine

Our Rube Goldberg machine preforms two tasks. It pops

a balloon full of confetti, and drops a sign which reads, Dance
Party! Our machine uses several complex steps to achieve these
simple tasks. The first step of our machine is activated by
Mason. He pushes a small toy skateboard which then hits a ball. The ball rolls down an inclined
plane and on to Dylans 1st class lever. The ball then lands on the left side of Dylans lever. It has
an MA > 1 because the fulcrum is placed close to the load. This multiplies the force applied onto
the next part of the machine, Dylans gears. The upward motion applied by Dylans lever pushes
the left most tooth of the first gear upwards. The first gear spins clockwise. This turns the second,
smaller gear which is placed to the bottom right of the first gear, counter-clockwise which in turn
spins the final gear clockwise. This gear is the same size as the driver gear meaning the ideal MA
= 1. A marble pre-placed between two upper right teeth on the final gear will roll out of the gear
system and on to Graces part of the machine. The ball lands into the left basket of Graces pulley.
This side goes downwards, hitting a 1st class lever downward which then turns into an inclined
plane and a preplaced marble rolls down this inclined plane which starts the second part and end
the first part. When this happens we will play two separate videos played side by side. We will
describe the second and third parts later. When Graces left pulley basket goes downwards her
right pulley basket goes upwards. This is because Graces pulley system is a fixed pulley. This
pulley basket then hits a second class lever with an upwards motion, causing it to turn into an
inclined plane and propel a marble downwards. It then enters Andreis 2 inclined planes. The
marble rolls down the inclined planes which then hits a golf ball staring Rachel part. The golf ball
rolls down an inclined plane, hitting a lever. This lever is a first class lever with two sides. One
side contains a block to capture motion form the gold ball, the other side contains a pin. The golf

ball strikes the block, pushing the block side towards the balloon. This pushes the pin side further
way from the balloon. The lever acts as a pendulum, and gravity and centripetal force cause the
pin come back and pop the balloon releasing the confetti and completing part 3.

Graces pulley has pushed a first class lever changing it into an inclined plane causing a
ball into Dylans funnel. The ball continues out of Dylans funnel and into a cup which falls the left
side of a ball propelling it rightwards down a tube and hitting Rachel play button. The marble then
falls into a cup. A sign is taped onto the cup and the downward motion of the cup causes the tape
to break and the dance party sign falls completing part 2.

Materials:

Tech Deck (mini toy skateboard)

3 smaller marbles
1 bigger marble
1 golf ball
Paper
Glue
Tape
Plastic gears
5 Small plastic cups
Wheel
Cardboard
Pin
Short pole
Balloon
Confetti
Funnel
3 nickels