Rube Goldberg Device - Group U

Diana Holcomb
Carl Peterson
Zachary D. Burt

Our Motto: Straightforward and simple wins the race.

Components:

• Weight: This provides the energy to start the drill spinning.
• Pulley: Redirects the weight string from the drill axle, and supports the weight.
• Flywheel: Provides rotational inertia to keep drill spinning after weight falls.
• Start String: Restrains cup from tipping into bucket, and keeps drill from spinning.
• Cup O H20: Tips into bucket when start string is burned, fills bucket with water.
• Bucket: Mounted to see-saw, fills with water from cup and causes see-saw to move.
• Siphon Hose: Like a toilet, self starting siphon empties bucket once water reaches nominal height.
• See-Saw: Moves when bucket fills. Pushes egg basket with egg up into spinning drill.
• Egg Basket: Styrofoam and Duct Tape Composite calibrated egg holder. Basket is weighted to flip over.
• Basket String: Keeps basket from flipping. Cut by knife when egg raises.
• Knife: Duh
• Drill: Mr. Mayhem, rips through eggshell, egg whites, egg yoke, and sometimes people.
• Nasty Pan: Breakfast anyone?

Energy Transfers:

• #1 Fire to Weight and Cup Falling
• #2 Weight Falling to Drill Spinning
• #3 Cup Falling to Bucket Filling
• #4 Bucket Filling to Egg Raising
• #5 Egg Raising to Basket String Cutting
• #6 Siphon to Bucket Emptying
• #7 Bucket Emptying to Egg Lowering
• #8 Egg Lowering to Basket Flipping

#1 Fire to Weight and Cup Falling Zachary D. Burt is seen burning through the string which is both holding up the cup full of water and preventing the drill flywheel from spinning. This is our human interaction. Want an egg cracked? Just burn through this string.

#2 Weight Falling to Drill Spinning Here you can see the string supporting the weight is wrapped around the a bolt in the top of the flywheel. This (extremely massive) weight falls, and sets the flywheel and drill bit spinning.

#3 Cup Falling to Bucket Filling Gravity is the name of this game. The cup falls against the wood block, and the water rushes out the open end. The bucket is quickly filled. #4 Bucket Filling to Egg Raising The sudden weight of water in the bucket causes the bucket on the see-saw to swing down, and the egg on the other end is smashed up into the spinning drill bit.

#5 Egg Raising to Basket String Cutting As the see-saw swings, the string which is keeping the weighted egg basket from flipping over off the end of the see-saw when the see-saw is down is cut by the knife. This is okay, though, because it is weighted so that it only wants to flip off the end when the egg is down (as in this picture). The tip of the drill bit is just visible in the flash, poised above the egg, ready for anything that comes its way.

#6 Siphon to Bucket Emptying In order to give the drill some time to do its work, the bucket stays full for a while as the self-siphon is started and the bucket slowly emptied.

#7 Bucket Emptying to Egg Lowering As the bucket becomes empty, the egg end of the see-saw is again heavier, and the see-saw will move back to the original position, with the bucket up and the egg down.

#8 Egg Lowering to Basket Flipping Nasty! This time, however, the string has been cut, so when it returns to the original position there is nothing keeping the weighted basket from flipping over the end of the see-saw. It does so, with much rejoicing.