Rube Goldberg BY: Anitra & Kate

Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. Goldberg is best known for a series of popular cartoons he created displaying complex devices that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways—now known as Rube Goldberg machines. In science we are trying to build these Rube Goldberg contraptions.  

The task for our machines is to either catch a wolf or a pig.  All the machines have incorporated six of the seven simple machines in them; the lever, the pulley, the gears, the incline plains, the screw, the wheel and axle and the wedge. There are conditions that all the groups must follow and meet.  Each group must have five transfers in energy.  These transfers can include; potential, kinetic, sound, magnetic, or rotational energy. All machines have to fit within a square meter, and any electricity on the machine must be battery powered.  All machines can only be touched once, and most of the groups will start their machine this way.

Some of the groups have become very creative with giving their machines names and themes. Some names include; Reggae Nation, City Christmas, Outdoors, Bright Colors and Lights, and Olympic Pig Society.

The 5th grade will be presenting the machines to family and friends on Thursday, March 10th.  We hope to see you there!