This is my Rube Goldberg machine piece named The Boot. In front of me, David’s machine needs to hit step A, a wood stick used as a sort of domino, as it is in the photo the stick has gravitational energy waiting to be released, once it is released, the gravitational energy changes into mechanical energy. Once step A is knocked over, it hits the pressure plate and transfers its kinetic energy in the form of sound energy and more kinetic energy. The pressure plate is attached to step B, a lever. The front of the lever is pulled down when the pressure plate is pushed, and the pivot point transfers the energy to the end attached to step C which lifts, when it lifts it releases step C, the pendulum. The pendulum in its current state has a lot of potential energy, more specifically gravitational energy, when the lever lifts and the pendulum is released, all of that potential energy is changed into mechanical energy and swings down. It transfers its kinetic energy to Ella’s machine with sound energy and mechanical energy.
Energy transfers and types of energy
Step A -> It has potential energy before its hit, once it gets hit the potential energy changes to mechanical energy. The mechanical energy from falling transfers to step B, the pressure plate, but some of it turns into sound energy in the process. This step has gravitational energy standing and mechanical energy once its hit
Step B -> The mechanical energy from the lever transfers to the pendulum once it’s released, the gravitational energy from the lever is turned into mechanical though some of it is turned into thermal energy around the fulcrum because of friction. This step also has gravitational energy and mechanical energy
Step C -> This step has potential energy that becomes kinetic once the lever releases it. This step transfers its mechanical energy into Ella’s soccer ball by hitting it but loses some energy with thermal energy around its pivot point because of friction. This step has gravitational energy and mechanical energy.