Hey there! You’re just in time to join Squeaks and me as we test our new cheese-serving machine. We both love cheese and going on adventures, so we invented a way to keep our cheese cool while we’re out and have it ready to eat when we get back home.
Our invention uses two simple machines: a lever and a pulley. First, we put our cheese on a piece of cardboard, which sits on a glass of ice to keep it cool. As the ice melts, it turns into water and releases a string caught under the ice cubes. This string activates our lever!
A lever helps lift heavy things. It’s made of a long object, like a board, balanced on another object called a fulcrum. Think of a see-saw! Our lever is a board balanced on a water bottle. One end flips the cheese onto the table, and the other end, with a sharp pencil, pops a balloon.
Inside the balloon is a marble and some confetti. When it pops, the marble falls through a funnel and turns on a fan. The fan blows a rubber duckie across a canal, bumping into a marble. This marble knocks over dominoes, which hit another marble, rolling it down a track to knock a golf ball off a tee. This releases a string connected to our pulley!
A pulley is a wheel with a groove for a string or rope. Our pulley has a golf ball on one side and a cup of orange juice on the other. Squeaks loves orange juice, and now that we’re home, it’s time for the ice to melt and release the string. Let’s see if our machine works!
Look! The string is loose, the pencil pops the balloon, and the rubber duckie makes it across. The dominoes fall, and Squeaks gets his orange juice, while I get some cheese and ice water. Our invention works!
Instead of building this machine, we could have just used the fridge. But building it was so much fun! Our invention is a type of Rube Goldberg machine. Rube Goldberg was an artist who loved drawing wacky inventions. His cartoons showed chain reactions, where one action causes another, like dominoes falling.
Rube Goldberg’s inventions were complicated for simple tasks, like wiping your face or opening an umbrella. They were funny because they were so complex! His cartoons had silly parts like frogs, umbrellas, and even people.
Rube Goldberg’s inventions were imaginary, but today, people build their own machines inspired by his ideas. You can make one too! Start with a simple task, like hanging up a jacket. Then, design your machine and gather materials. It might take a few tries to get it right, but when it works, it’s amazing!
So, what do you think, Squeaks? Should we eat this cheese and run the machine again? Thanks for joining us! If you build your own Rube Goldberg machine, we’d love to see it. Grab a grown-up and send us an email at [email protected]. See you next time at the Fort!
Build a Mini Rube Goldberg Machine: Gather some simple materials like dominoes, marbles, toy cars, and cardboard tubes. With the help of an adult, design a small Rube Goldberg machine that performs a simple task, like ringing a bell or turning on a light. Think about how each part of your machine will cause the next part to move. Once you have your design, build it and test it out! How many tries does it take to make it work perfectly?
Observe Simple Machines in Action: Go on a scavenger hunt around your home or school to find examples of simple machines like levers and pulleys. Can you find a see-saw, a door handle, or a flagpole? Take notes or draw pictures of what you find. Discuss with a friend or family member how each simple machine helps make work easier.
Invent a Cheese-Serving Adventure: Imagine you are going on an adventure like Squeaks and need to keep your cheese cool. Draw a picture or write a story about your own cheese-serving invention. What simple machines will you use? How will they work together to serve your cheese when you return? Share your invention with your class or family and see if they have any ideas to add!
