Rube Goldberg Ideas

If there was anything which could make our daily tasks extremely difficult, it was the quintessential Rube Goldberg machines. These machines are named after a popular cartoon series by Reuben Goldberg involving complex machines that do extremely easy tasks in an indirect and complicated way. I am sure all of us have seen it or something similar in Tom and Jerry as well. These inventions and trinkets are very popular with the kids. It is an opportunity to develop a scientific and logical perspective, especially with regards to physics and it is absolute fun to see a simple thing being done in a very complicated way!

Simple Ideas for Rube Goldberg

#1
This is an absolute breeze, in reality, for many of us. Let me tell you without further ado about the first idea. This is to pop a balloon. For that, you would need to poke the balloon with a sharp object and attach an element which will lead the balloon to pop to it. That element can be attached to the ruler or any other object which is going to strike the balloon. To give you an example, heating the balloon will cause it to pop. If the balloon is placed on the lid of a vessel containing water, after it heats, it will burst. For making a simple machine for this, make a list of everything you need. Work on the process from the final outcome to how it would start. Work on getting that to happen, and draw a plan for the machine.

#2
Another one is screw a lid on the jar. In this case, it is important to understand the movement of screwing and unscrewing of the lid. As the earlier idea, to make a simple machine for this, you would need to rewind the process in which the lid is screwed and put on a jar. That will give a better idea about making a corresponding machine for screwing a lid on a jar.

#3
The objective is to switch on the fan or run the fan. Here are the steps which would give you a clue as to how can this be complicated rather than just getting to the switch and turning it on.

• First, a card flips a switch in the machine.
• The switch does its work and closes the circuit.
• It is followed by the circuit starting the motor.
• The motor then pulls a string attached to the switch.
• Finally, the closed circuit starts the fan.

#4
This has to be done with the help of a series of dominoes. The aim is to shut a door.

• You need to begin with setting a series of dominoes on a table or may be an elevated surface.
• They have to be placed close enough, till the edge of the table.
• A small wooden strip at the end of the table would be needed to serve as a ramp.
• A marble then needs to be placed at the head of the ramp, as its movement will be triggered by the falling dominoes.
• On a stand at the bottom of the table, mount a funnel and it should meet with the ramp.
• This will take the marble, then directing it to the mousetrap.
• Now place a mousetrap at the bottom of the funnel you just placed.
• Tie a string to the mousetrap and then connect it with the door knob.
• What will happen now is that the marble will hit the mousetrap, activating the spring, eventually tugging the string and opening the door.

Whoa! That was some idea! I am sure you can use these and many more as a part of school projects.

Some more ideas would be to fold a napkin, open a can, put toothpaste on toothbrush, smash a grape, turn a flashlight on and many more! You just need to apply your little gray cells and think, out of the box.

Getting mechanical and thinking of getting things done the complicated way is fine, but at the same time, children should take care, not to injure or hurt themselves in the process. Have a blast!