Algodoo

Potential Energy of a steel ball is converted to kinetic energy as it falls down a ramp and onto a decline connecting with a rubber ball. The rubber ball picks up horizontal velocity on the impact and falls off its mount onto the wooden plank that holds a large brick. The large brick falls off onto a lever with a fulcrum point in the middle. Due to the seasaw like plank and the mass of the large brick, the smaller brick on the opposite end flips off the lever.

The hard part of this assignment was getting the velocity of the initial ball down. I found that the initial steel ball would fly down the ramp at too high of velocity. So instead of changing the ramp angle I introduced gears to slow the steel ball down. The other issue was the material of the second ball. I did find this assignment helpful in describing my Rube Goldberg machine, and in the understanding of detail needed in constructing the device.