Rube Goldberg Machine for physics class in highschool any ideas?

  1. I need to build a rube goldberg machine for physics class and i am stuck on ideas. It must include circular motion, projectile motion, rolling motion, gravitational energy, kinetic energy, elastic enrgy, conservation of momentum, and electric or magnetic fields. It cannot be powered by more than a 6v battery and must fit in a box 1mx0.75mx1m
  2. jcsd
  3. berkeman

    Staff: Mentor

    Welcome to the PF.

    Per the PF Rules, since this is a school project, you must show a lot of effort on it before we can offer some ideas. What are your ideas so far? When you do a Google Images search, what kind of machines look interesting?
  4. Ultimately, the machine will depend upon what materials you have at your disposal. You could make a roller coaster for a marble, but if you don't have anything to make the track out of that wouldn't be feasible for you.

    So, what do you have? Rubber bands, matches, lighter, balloons, wire hangers, metal ball bearings, electrical solenoids, action figures, dolls, erector sets, legos, dominoes, etc...
  5. Danger

    Danger 9,879
    Gold Member

    Hmmm... a real Rube Goldberg device has to include a teakettle and either a parrot or a monkey (both if possible), but I suppose that you don't have one of those.
    The trick is to make it as silly as possible, within the bounds of functionality. Google some of the original cartoons to get a feel for the concept.
  6. This might give you some ideas.
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 25, 2014
  7. i only need to incorprate elastic energy and circular motion left and i hasve 12 out 20 steps
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