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We’ve all seen the crazy chain-reaction contraptions called Rube Goldberg machines. Explore the creative side of engineering by designing and building your own Rube Goldberg devices.

 

We will start with a broad look at the principles of mechanics and design and go over measurement and hand-tool use. Then, students will design and build interactive machines where a simple push starts a chain reaction of pulleys, dominoes and so much more. As the week progresses, our designs will become more complex, culminating in a grand finale chain reaction on the last day. Ultimately, we will see how these devices, which waste time and energy to accomplish simple tasks, can be a vehicle for engineering ingenuity and artistic expression.
 

What You Will Learn

 

Students in High School: Rube Goldberg Engineering will:

  • Receive safety instruction
  • Learn the basics of mechanics and thermodynamics
  • Gain an understanding of what a chain reaction is and why we want to learn about this concept
  • Design and experiment with mechanisms for transferring energy from one place to another
  • Learn about hypothesis testing and the scientific method
  • Take a historical look at failure and examine how failure has led to success
  • Design, build and test a variety of Rube Goldberg machines
Return to the Sally Ride Science website here. 

Note: Upon successful enrollment of a section, students will receive a confirmation email from our Student Services team. This email will include a link to an authorization form that is required to be completed within 72-hours of enrollment.

Course Number: ENG-90033
Credit: 1.50 unit(s)

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