Alexis' Site on Rube Goldberg
For students seeking advice, guidence, and examples for creating RGPs (Rube Goldberg Projects).
About Me
To begin my name is Alexis. I recently turned 17 and still go to High School. My grades are mostly A's & B's, occasionally one C (in History). Lately I've drifted away from RGPs (Rube Goldberg Projects) because school and volunteering has consumed so much of my time.
In school I am a member of Key Club (keyclub.org) and assist by counting money after school twice weekly. This is my 3rd year doing so. Also I participate in events to help raise money when we are short a few members. My goal is to one day be a Math teacher and be the Advisor of Key Club.
Also twice weekly you'll find me volunteering with a childcare program with kids ages 5-10. I enjoy helping them with homework and playing games. Often I have them do extra spelling or math practice, which they are rewarded for with a piece of candy. Through Key Club and working with these children I've gathered some 400+ hours of volunteering.
My favorite authors are Clive Cussler and JK Rowling. Cussler writes extremely suspenceful Action/Fiction novels. He's written 33 amazing books - listed here.
Fun facts..... I am trilingual - knowing English, Español, e Italiano, 5' 11" tall, enjoy cycling around the peacefull county, and favorite quote: "You can do anything that you set your mind to" -Eminem.
If I missed anything please comment below what more you'd like to know. Thank you.
To contact me for guidance you must sign up as a member on the Message Board. For free you are joing to participate on the forums; as well as seeing my e-mail. No junk mail is ever sent to you through my host.
My old e-mail account used to receive 1,000 Bulk messages a week - so trust me I'm a fellow spam hater.
RGP: "The Magic School Bus" - How to turn the page of a book
The goal of the 1998 Rube Goldberg contest at the Museum of Scientific Discovery, Harrisburg, was to build a machine (with at least 10 steps) to turn the page of a book.
Age Created: 7
Time Needed: 3 weeks
1. Turn the handle on a toy cash register to open the drawer.
2. The drawer pushes a golf ball off a platform, into a small blue funnel, and down a ramp.
3. The falling golf ball pulls a string that releases the magic school bus (carrying a picture of Rube Goldberg) down a large blue ramp.
4. Rube's bus hits a rubber ball on a platform, dropping the ball into a large red funnel.
5. The ball lands on a mousetrap (on the orange box) and sets it off.
6. The mousetrap pulls a nail from the yellow stick.
7. The nail allows a weight to drop.
8. The weight pulls a cardboard "cork" from an orange tube.
9. This drops a ball into a cup. (The hardest step! Water was too messy)
10. The cup tilts a metal scale and raises a wire.
11. The wire releases a ball down a red ramp.
12. The ball falls into a pink paper basket.
13. The basket pulls a string to turn the page of the book!
RGP: "Hickory Dickory Dock" - Put coins in a bank
The goal of the 1999 Rube Goldberg contest at the Museum of Scientific Discovery, Harrisburg, PA was to build a machine (with at least 10 steps) to put coins into a bank.
Age Created: 8
1. Release Chitty Chitty car with mouse driving it and it bumps a rubber ball.
2. The ball knocks down the dominoes.
3. The dominoes trigger the first mousetrap.
4. The mousetrap pulls a string to turn on a toy record player. The music is "Hickory Dickory Dock"!
5. The record player spins the colorful gears.
6. The gears wind slowly wind a string that pull up a paperclip.
7. The paperclip is no longer in contact with another paperclip, which breaks the circuit on an electromagnet.
8. The electromagnet releases a mouse in a car down the ramp.
9. The moving mouse runs into a string, making it vibrate.
10. The string triggers mousetrap number 2.
11. This mousetrap pulls a string which pulls a hook (paperclip).
12. The hook releases a red parachute man and he flies down the incline.
13. The man pulls another string from a tube. This string has a pencil on the end.
14. The pulled pencil/string lets a heavy ball drop down the tube.
15. The dropping ball pulls an attached string up, making another mouse "go up the clock".
16. As the mouse moves, two small ball bearings are released down a marble track. (His tail was holding them in place).
17. The ball bearings land on mousetrap number three.
18. The mousetrap pulls a wire to trigger the mechanical bank, and with a tiny picture Rube Goldberg watching closely, a dog puts the coins in the bank!
My machine won 3rd place. Unfortunately, during the judging, the next to the last step didn't work! (The mousetrap didn't go off.) It seems the marble track was a little crooked.
My pal Peter Knepp of Mount Holly Springs won First place in the 1999 contest! His machine was built from toys, string, coins and a bank and performed flawlessly. The bad news: My mom videoed his machine, but in all the excitement, forgot to take a picture. Peter, if you read this, please send me a picture!
