I need to describe all the motions and all physics concepts that are found in a

Question

I need to describe all the motions and all physics concepts that are found in a self created Rube Goldberg device in both a qualitative and quantitative manner. Please help! In my Rube Goldberg device there is a 0.45kg ball suspended from a rope above a table that is 1.6m above the ground and the ball is 0.2m above the table. When action is began the ball drops to the table where it gently nudges a 0.40kg car from the side. Most of the energy of the ball is transfered into the table and not the car. The car receives just a fraction of the energy of the ball. The car moves slowly to the edge of the table where there is a track that leads down to another table with 7 0.5kg rectangular, upright wooden blocks. The car experiences acceleration due only to the forces of gravity and the length of the track is 1m. When the car strikes the blocks the force of the car is transfered to the blocks and they begin to fall over transfering the force until the last block falls off the table to hit a seesaw like device with a ball at one end that is projected into the air by the force of the falling block.

The entire machine is meant to throw the ball into the air. The ball which is thrown, of course travels in a direction back towards the table. My question is; what are all of the quantitative explanations for all of the motions beginning to end?

Explanation / Answer

initially the ball has potential energy .

As the ball is released the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy of the ball .

Since you mentioned that the most of the energy is transfered to the table , then the collision of the ball with the table must have very low coefficient of restitution as a result it does not bounce high .

now the slight push to the car is from the result of two dimentional collision of the car (at rest starts movement along x axis )with the incoming ball(y axis )

as the car moves down the track it gains kinetic energy and momentum due to gravitational force .

As the car hits the block it transfers momentum to the block(mometum conservation) , which transfers its momentum through contact force .

the last block gains kinetic energy due to gravitaional force and produces an impulse on the sea saw .

due to the impulse there is a angular momentum generated about the lever whihc is transfered to the ball which then shoots like a projectile into air .

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse I
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.