Energy Transformations

Law of Conservation of Energy Energy can not be created or destroyed, it only changes form

Rube Goldberg Rube Goldberg was an American engineer and inventor in the early 1900s who decided to become a cartoonist. He often drew very complicated and overdone machines that made simple tasks take many complicated steps.

Rube Goldberg Machines Clip from Pee Wees Big Adventure

Rube Goldberg Machines Goldiblox commercial

Rube Goldberg Machines OK Go – This Too Shall Pass

Your mission: Design a Rube Goldberg machine with at least THREE steps of energy transfer. Remember that energy is the ability to cause change. You must cause change…meaning that your machine must do something. If you want to work in partners or groups, for each additional person you must add a step to your machine. Maximum of 4 people. Each step must be labeled naming the change. Machines can just be designed or be built. If just designed it must be realistic and attainable. Look back at the cartoon on the 2 nd slide, it is a very clear design and shows how the energy will be transferred between each step. If you choose not to actually build a machine, make sure your design is very clearly illustrated.