As a culmination of our energy transfer science unit, we are working to make Rube Goldberg machines. Rube Goldberg machines transfer energy through a variety of steps to perform a simple task. We decided to combine this project with the cardboard challenge and see what type of Rube Goldberg machine we can build out of cardboard.
We took some time to make sure that our 1st step would transfer enough energy. We ran some experiments in which we tested the affects that different variables, such as ramp height, would have on the movement of our energy. We formed hypotheses, tested variables with three different trials, and were able to draw conclusions. Our experiments showed that the more gravitational energy we stored at the beginning of our Rube Goldberg, the farther our objects (marbles, balls etc.) would travel. This means that energy impacts speed and distance traveled.
We're now working to design our next steps. Stay tuned to see our finished projects. Next Tuesday, Dec. 19 is the cardboard challenge celebration, where we will share the finished projects with the school.
