Our team decided on a much simpler approach, using few materials. We mostly collected items from around campus. Our team decided on a much simpler approach, using few materials. We mostly collected items from around campus. Taylor Coop, Amanda Herrin, Eddie Pasternak, and Katie Weldon The Trap

Meet us at THE TRAP, it’s goin’ down. We begin by manually rolling a marble down a PVC pipe onto a mousetrap, which closes a pair of scissors that cuts a string that is holding up a water bottle filled with coins and other weights. When the string is cut, the water bottle slowly lowers to the floor, lifting the weight, until a bottle cap jams the system, stopping the weight from raising past a meter. We begin by manually rolling a marble down a PVC pipe onto a mousetrap, which closes a pair of scissors that cuts a string that is holding up a water bottle filled with coins and other weights. When the string is cut, the water bottle slowly lowers to the floor, lifting the weight, until a bottle cap jams the system, stopping the weight from raising past a meter.

Construction Hardships Weak material handicapped our original design. We decided to rebuild our device with wood that would be able to adequately support the lifting process. The extra time was a necessary sacrifice for a more reliable device. Weak material handicapped our original design. We decided to rebuild our device with wood that would be able to adequately support the lifting process. The extra time was a necessary sacrifice for a more reliable device.

Energy Conversions The marble’s gravitational potential energy before it is rolled down the pipe is converted to kinetic energy that sets off the mouse trap. The mouse trap’s initial spring potential energy is converted to kinetic energy that closes the scissors. The gravitational potential energy of the bottle and weight slowly converts to kinetic energy as it falls to the floor while the weight’s gravitational potential energy is increasing. The marble’s gravitational potential energy before it is rolled down the pipe is converted to kinetic energy that sets off the mouse trap. The mouse trap’s initial spring potential energy is converted to kinetic energy that closes the scissors. The gravitational potential energy of the bottle and weight slowly converts to kinetic energy as it falls to the floor while the weight’s gravitational potential energy is increasing. “Time to flip the work, make the block bump.” “I ride real slow, no need to speed.”

Conclusions Though we stumbled through the designing process, we were able to develop our problem solving skills as we worked as a team to make things happen.