If The Milk Man had six types of simple machines, including five inclined planes, three pulleys, two levers, one set of wheels and axles, and one wedge, one screw. For each simple machine, we made calculations, including potential and kinetic energy, mechanical advantage, force, velocity and acceleration. If you look at slides two and three in the power-point at right, you will find the end calculations for each step.
A Rhube Goldberg machine can teach students many things, both about themselves and about many physics concepts. I learned that I can explain my ideas better when I sketch them out. It lets me explain things more clearly and thoroughly. It also allows people to understand me both verbally and visually. This makes sure that my thoughts and ideas come across without confusion. I also learned that I need to work on letting things go, and on trusting my teammates to do their best for the assignment. I need to work on simplifying my thought process and not over complicating the task at hand. I also learned how to use a chisel and how to calculate mechanical advantage for many simple machines, such as levers, wedges, and pulleys. I learned not to get frustrated when things don't work out at first; in the end, you often realize that the struggle for success was entertaining and fun. Overall, this project was extremely educational and interesting. |
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