Unit: Yr 8 Forces and Energy

Task: Rube Goldberg

Student’s Name: ______

Teacher’s Name: ______

Context/Learning Goals
In class you have learnt about – Energy
Task
The aim build a four stage Rube Goldberg machine to launch a ping pong ball into a bin
To complete this you are to:
Apply scientific knowledge to design a 4 stage Rube Goldberg machine that hurls a ping pong ball.
Conduct the experiment
Record results and modify designs
Analyse data & Interpret results
Synthesise the results to draw a conclusion
Conditions
Date Set:
Due Date: / ______
______
______/ Check Date:
Length: / ______
Essential Vocabulary / Literacy/Numeracy
In your some of the words you may use include:
  • Energy
  • Friction, Applied Force, Weight
  • Acceleration, Gravity
  • Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy
  • Energy Transfers/Transformations
  • Gravitational, elastic, mechanical
/ Some grammatical/mathematical aspects to consider are:
  • Designing a machine
  • Drawing scientific diagrams
  • Writing a scientific report

CCEs/Verbs
Analyse, Describe, Explain, Construct, Synthesise

Group members: ______

Introduction

Rube Goldberg was an artist, inventor, engineer, author and sculptor. He is best known for his comical drawings of crazy contraptions and inventions. His artwork appeared in newspapers throughout the United States from the early 1900s to the 1960s. Today, the term ‘Rube Goldberg’ is used to signify anything done in an overly complicated or roundabout manner.

The construction of Rube Goldberg machines involves the use of household items in order to create the most complex machine possible to accomplish a simple task, for example, to turn the pages of a book or push a tennis ball along a track. The machine might include balls, string, toy cars, pulleys, springs or recycled materials. By building these crazy contraptions, you will gain invaluable skills in creativity and learn about the science of energy transfers and transformations.

Task:

You have been employed by a toy company to help develop a ‘Rube Goldberg’ machine that kids could easily construct in their own homes. Your new boss has given you and your team an idea as a starting point. It is known as the ‘The Hurler’ and its aim is tolaunch a ping pong ball into a bin. Your employer has also provided you with a video of it in action. (This can be accessed through your teacher.)

Planning

You will have six lessons to complete your task.

You are to work in small groups.

All work is to be completed in your experiment book.

There must be at least four (4) stages and for the final stage a ping pong ball must be hurled to produce the final action.

Aim

The aim build a four stage Rube Goldberg machine to launch a ping pong ball into a bin

Hypothesis - An educated guess of the results based on the background information. Example: “If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen because______." This should relate to what you need to do to make your Rube Goldberg design work.

Prediction - Justification of the hypothesis – “why”. Present a brief statement of what you predict/expect to observe during this experiment based on scientific theory.

Apparatus & Materials -List all the equipment and/or materials used in this experiment

Method - Describe the method you used to conduct the experiment, the reader must be able to repeat the experiment based on your step-by-step description. Risk Assessment – steps you took to minimise identified risks, describe them.

Diagram - Draw a clearly labelled diagram of your Rube Goldberg machine. Use only pencil and a ruler and make sure it is comprehensively labelled.

Results: Observations - Describe your experimental observations here. Annotate your original diagram with any errors or problems that have occurred during testing using a red pen.

Draw a final diagram of your modified Rube Goldberg machine.

Discussion

  1. Using a tape measure, measure the approximate (horizontal) distance that your projectile will travel.
  1. Using a stop watch, time the length of the journey for your projectile.
  1. Calculate (and show working) the average speed of your projectile.
  1. Draw a diagram of your projectile, when it is travelling, and indicate (using arrows) the direction and type of force acting on the object.
  1. What could be done to the machine and projectile to cut down the friction force/s that impede (slow down) your projectile?
  1. Draw an energy chain depicting all of your Rube Goldberg machine.
  1. Describe and explain the two forms of energy in your machine.

1.

  1. Describe and explain the other types of energy in your machine.
  1. Identify the energy transformations and transfers in your machine.
  1. Analyse the experimental errors, all difficulties faced and how they could be reduced.
  1. Synthesize the data obtained with your original design and explain how you could improve your machine.

Conclusion - (The conclusion is usually a brief statement that summarises whether the experimental results supports or contradict the stated hypothesis and predication of the experiment and describes whether the aim is achieved and how.)

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Year 8 Science standard elaborations

The students work has the following characteristics relating toHeating Water

A / B / C / D / E
Understanding dimension / Science Understanding / •Integration of analysis, explanation, description, identification and comparison of phenomena, with science knowledge
•Application of science knowledge to generate justified solutions and justified predictions in simple and complex situations / •Linking of analysis, explanation, description, identification and comparison of phenomena, with science knowledge
•Application of science knowledge to generate informed solutions and plausible predictions and solutions in simple situations with progress towards some that are complex / •Analysis, explanation, description, identification and comparison of phenomena
•Application of science knowledge to generate solutions and predictions in simple situations / •Partial explanations, description, identification, definition and recall of science knowledge
•Application of science knowledge to generate partial solutions and predictions in simple situations / •Recall of science facts
Science as a Human Endeavour / •Examination and explanation of how and why different science knowledge is used in occupations
•Thorough explanation of how evidence has improved understanding of scientific ideas and informed the collaboration of scientists to generate solutions to contemporary problems / •Examination and explanation of how different science knowledge is used in occupations
•Explanation of how evidence has improved understanding of scientific ideas and informed the collaboration of scientists to generate solutions to contemporary problems / •Examination of the different science knowledge used in occupations
•Explanation of how evidence has improved understanding of scientific ideas
•Description of situations in which scientists collaborated to generate solutions to contemporary problems / Statements about:
  • science knowledge used in occupations
  • use of evidence to understand scientific ideas
  • scientists collaborating to generate solutions to contemporary problems
/ Statements about:
  • science used in occupations
  • scientific ideas
  • scientists collaborating

Skills dimension / Questioning and predicting / Identification and construction of questions and problems that can be investigated scientificallyand the making of justified predictions / Identification and construction of questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and the making of plausible predictions / Identification and construction of questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically / Guided identification and construction of questions / Use of given investigation questions
Planning and conducting (including designing field orexperimental methods) / •Description of how to manage safety and ethical considerations when planning investigations / •Description of the implications of safety and ethical considerations when planning investigations / •Consideration of safety and ethics when planning investigations / •Selection of, or partial planning of investigations that consider safety and ethics / Use of given investigations methods
Processing and analysing data and information / Following of conventions to systematicallyconstruct accurate representations of data to analyse patterns and trends, and use of these when explaining relationships and justifying conclusions / Following of conventions to systematically construct representations of data to analyse patterns and trends, and use of these when describing relationships and justifying conclusions / Construction of representations of data to reveal and analyse patterns and trends, and use these when justifying conclusions / •Partial construction of representations of data to reveal patterns and trends
•Partial development of conclusions / •Use of given representations
•Restatement of data
Evaluating / •Reflection on the method used and evaluation of the quality of data to thoroughly explain how effective modifications to methods will improve the quality of data
•Use of relevant scientific knowledge and investigation findings to evaluate with justification claims made by others / •Reflection on the method used and evaluation of the quality of data to explain how effective modifications to methods could improve the quality of data
•Use of relevant scientific knowledge and investigation findings when evaluating claims made by others / •Explanation of how modifications to methods could improve the quality of data
•Application of scientific knowledge and investigation findings to evaluate claims made by others / Statements about:
  • modifications to methods
  • claims made by others
/ Statements about: modifications and claims
Communicating / Concise and coherent use of appropriate scientific language and representations to communicate science ideas, methods and findings in a range of text types / Coherent use of appropriate scientific language and representations to communicate science ideas, methods and findings in a range of text types / Use of appropriate language and representations to communicate science ideas, methods and findings in a range of text types / Use of everyday language and representations to communicate science ideas, methods and findings / Fragmented use of language and representations

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