Index

4F

Abbey

Ami

Brian

Brigham

Cooper

Harrison

Jake

James

Jared

Jasmin

Jefferson

Jordan

Julie

Katelyn

Kendall

Mia

Michael

Nastassja

Sean

Tim

Teacher Page

Turning Off the Lights

 Tired of having to get out of bed every night to turn off the lights?  My Rube Goldberg machine is the best solution to the dilemma of whether to stay in your cozy, warm bed and sleep with the lights on or to get up, turn off the lights and sleep uncomfortably with chilly feet. With just a simple tug on the sheets, “click!” and off goes the lights! The function of this machine is actually quite complicated, but easy to perform. You’ll be snoozing in no time!

 All you have to do is tug on the sheets and hold on for a few moments. This will pull the lever and release the potential energy stored in the ball because it is held above the ground.  The mounted ball will roll and drop onto the ramp, pulled by the force of gravity. It will go through the tunnel, and into the pulley. The force of the rolling ball will allow the pulley react, bringing the second ball up. There, it will roll off and hit the bell. The bell will then ring, waking up the mouse and get it going on the exercise wheel. This starts the gear and because of the kinetic energy of the moving gear, the spring with two inclined plains on the end will push into each individual section of the gear. The spring will eventually push out the ball, and the ball will fall onto the sleeping dog. The dog, yowling with surprise, will run and upset the fence post. The fence post, connected to the ground by hinges, will fall on the spring. The force from the falling fence post will compress the molecules in the spring for a second, storing potential energy.  This potential energy is released when the spring bounces back, and as a result of the sudden jolt of force, throws the lever back like a catapult and shoots the ball into the air. The ball will fall on the ramp, and go in the tube. The tube will redirect the ball with a sharp turn, along with the centrifugal force swinging it faster and faster until…”clunk!”And the ball will drop on the lever, popping up the plastic hand. The hand will push on the underside of another lever and it will turn off the light switch! Now you’ve got yourself the very first automatic light switch!

 

Page Made by Jefferson

January 18, 2004