Team Presents The Gube Roldberg Machine

( a Rube Goldberg Project)

Michael Henry, Grant Tabor, Matt Price, & Fionnie Wong

EB=Pain2

Device Design• Our Rube Goldberg device cleverly named Gube

Roldberg or “The Gube” is set off by a series of dominos that fall onto a large dowel (centered on a smaller dowel) thus triggering the first marble to move.

• This marble travels down a succession of angled pathways and eventually into a funnel.

• The marble then lands on a catapult and launches into a piece of cardboard attached to another wooden dowel.

• This dowel tips a platform holding another marble.

• The marble then falls into a basket that pulls the center of mass platform, and accordingly tilts slightly to allow four smaller marbles to roll off of it.

• Finally, these marbles fall into another basket (attached by hooks to our rolled up banner) and drops the basket to the ground allowing our beautiful Tennessee Banner to reveal itself to the world.

Conservation Of Rotational Energy• Assume rotating on its center of mass• Mass moment of inertia of the rod: • Mass of rod= 46 grams = 0.046 kg• Length of rod = 18.5 in = 0.4699 m• Rod initially at rest

• Because it takes 0.1 sec to rotate 10 degrees, we can calculate the angular velocity of the rod

Projectile Motion• Trajectory Equation:

• Solve the trajectory equation for v (velocity):

• Constructed a table with different thetas varying from 45 degrees to 55 degrees (by 1 degree)

• Solved for velocity at both the assigned angles and in the x-direction

• Average velocity = 1.39 m/s• Average velocity in x-direction = 0.892 m/s

:

• Assume the origin to be the last point of contact between the ball and the spoon and the point of collision is (0.127 m, 0.1016 m)

Conservation of Momentum• Once the marble falls onto the catapult

the marble is shot into a large piece of cardboard connected to the other large, wooden dowel rod on a small, wooden dowel rod (assuming no friction).

• Collision between first marble and cardboard barrier

• Perfectly elastic collision: e = 1• e =

Center of Mass• Center of mass of the wooden platform

and the four marbles resting on it• Mass of one marble (four total) = 5 g• Mass of wood block = 68 g• Length of wood block = 6 in • The far left side of the wood block is the

origin

Issues:• Shooting inaccurately of

“catapult”: varying angle• Triggering malfunction:

cardboard, rotating platform, etc.• Shaking of the device caused by

preliminary components that later change the final outcome of the project

• Added weight• Device changes through trial and

error

Conclusions:• Learned how to apply physics to

real life situations• Learned the values of teamwork

& working as a team• Learned how to voice personal

opinions• problem solving skills,

organizational skills, and logistical command were rigorously tested

• Creativity is limitless