How To Put An Egg In An Egg Cup
By Jasmin
In my machine I created a way to get an egg into an egg cup. But I invented it differently, like no one would think. I used simple machines like inclined planes, wheel and axels, levers, fulcrums, spring and a pulley. I also used scientific concepts such as gravity, Newton’s law and force to help my machine work. My machine has nine steps to it and each step is labeled with a letter. Here are the steps in my machine and how it works.
Step A: Rufus, the dog, is sleeping on the floor and the alarm clock next to him rings and wakes him up. The alarm clock uses a wheel and axel to move the hands around the face of the clock. Gravity keeps the dog on the ground.
Step B: The dog wakes up and sees a bone on an air cushion on the table. So he jumps up onto the air cushion on the table and the dog’s weight pushes down the cushion and forces the air out of the cushion. While the air is in the cushion it is potential energy until it is released by the force of the dog. The air travels through a tube that is attached to the cushion. This tube is placed on a fulcrum to raise it up to reach the sail on the skateboard. The tube is a lever.
Step C: The air from the tube is a force that blows into the sail of the skateboard and pushes it along the table and down the ramp. The skateboard is a simple machine because it moves on wheels that rotate on axels. Gravity pushes the skateboard down the ramp. The ramp is an inclined plane. The skateboard goes down the ramp and stops on the foot of the man. The man is a force that stops an object from moving.
Step D: The skateboard hurts the man and he accidentally drops his cigar from his hand. Gravity pushes the cigar to the ground. The cigar becomes an object at rest. The cigar falls next to a tail of a string that is attached to a hook and screw. The hook is screwed into the ground. On the other end of the string is a heavy ball. The flame from the cigar travels along the string and burns a hole in it detaching it from the hook.
Step E: Before the string is released it is part of a pulley that keeps a heavy weight
(the ball) from falling down. When the string is released from the hook it travels up the pole but a rubber gasket that is attached to the string brings the string to a stop at the top of the pole and in turn will make the spring stretch out. The gravity force from the string is transferred to the spring. Newton’s Law is used here. The pole is attached to a metal base that is attached to the ground with metal screws.
Step F: The ball is attached to the spring with wire that is wrapped around the ball. The ball that is the load that drops onto the end of the lever but the ball does not fall to the floor because the rubber gasket stops it.
Step G: The weight of the ball pushes down one end of the lever and raises the other end. The lever rests on a fulcrum.
Step H: When the tip of the lever rises it pushes/forces one end of the tin can upwards. The tin can is a simple machine because it is a lever resting on a circular tube fulcrum that is attached to the can by a rubber band. The hard boiled egg inside the can is forced to roll forward when the can is tipped.
Step I: The egg uses kinetic energy to roll out of the tin can and into the egg cup. The egg is now ready to eat.
I have used Rube Goldberg’s inventions as an example to create my own invention using simple machines that I found around my home. It is interesting these simple machines when put together can still use scientific concepts such as force, energy and Newton’s Law to make the machines work.
Page made by Jasmin
January 19, 2004