The Party Machine

Made by Toni, Jessica, Ashok,

Jeffrey, and David.

Table Of Contents
1.

About the Project

2. Steps on the Machine
3. Simple Machines We Used
4. Progress Log
5. Energy transfers
6. Changes Made

About the Project

A rube goldberg machine is complex way to do a simple task.
Our Rube Goldberg is party themed and has an end result of
balloons rising.

Steps on the Machine

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Present is pulled up
Toy car rolls down orange
ramp
Car triggers birthday hat
pulley
bouncy ball runs down
yellow ramp
Bouncy ball hits lever
Ball runs down green ramp
Ball rolls along birthday cake
wheel
Bouncy ball hits steel ball
Steel ball drops down pipe

10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)

Steel ball rolls down short

ramp
Steel Ball hits dominoes
Dominoes knock down
weight
Weight falls onto wheel and
makes it spin
Clear marble falls down
incline
Clear marble hits yellow
wood block
Balloons are released!

Simple Machines We Used

1)

Incline Plane: spreads the force exerted over a longer distance.

2) Lever: uses leverage to increase the output force.
3) Wheel and Axle: a circular incline plane that covers more distance
with each rotation.
4) Pulley: concentrates the weight in one place for easy lifting.
Mechanical advantage increases with each wrap of the string.
5) Wedge: holds something in place or wedges between two objects.

Energy Transfers
1)

Kinetic Thermal

As the car runs down the ramp, friction caused by the rough
wood creates thermal energy. Therefore, some of the cars
kinetic energy as it moves converts into thermal energy.
2) Kinetic Kinetic
Kinetic energy is exerted when the bouncy ball spins around
the motored birthday cake wheel. When the elastic collision
occurs as the bouncy ball hits the steel ball, the kinetic energy
is transferred to the steel ball.

Energy Transfers Cont.

3) Potential Kinetic
At the beginning of the ramp, a wedge holds the bouncy ball
in place, giving it potential energy. When the wedge is lifted,
the ball rolls down the ramp and the potential energy is
transferred to kinetic.
4) Potential Kinetic
When the weight sits on the ledge, it has potential energy due
to its position. Then, when the domino knocks the weight off
the edge, the potential energy converts to kinetic.

Progress Log
Day 1: Looked for supplies; Cut Pieces of wood to the right size; Drew
on board to show where steps were.
Day 2: Made board stand up by itself; Added first pulley.
Day 3: Painted wood pieces that were to be attached; Cut holes in
board for motor wheel.
Day 4: Painted motor wheel white; Second pulley & first two inclined
planes attached w/ decoration.

Progress Log Cont.

Day 5: Replaced second, plastic, pulley w/ metal and attached the cone
and wedge; Made second wheel; Attached lever and 3rd inclined plane.
Day 6: Attached motor wheel step; Started attaching wood for domino
step, but wood but it split; Added Sides to inclined plane.
Day 7: Added hole for ball to into in motor wheel; Finished domino step
Day 8: Added sides to motor wheel; Tested different types of balls
Day 9: Attached 2nd wheel; Tweaked Domino step; Tweaked lever;
Added final step

Changes Made
-

added a piece of wood for

the first pulley
switched out a metal pulley
for the plastic one
decided against confetti
used a light piece of wood at
the end instead of a weight
took out the screw
put in a piece of wood
behind the party hat so it
wouldnt interfere with the
ramp below

Thanks For
Watching!