The Road Runner Trap

Results May Vary

The Problem
Catching road runners is a dangerous job, theyre fast, too fast, did one just run by, too late,
hes long gone. What we need is something that can catch up to them, which has never
worked before. So, lets try something to trick him!

Not fast
enough
Time
Road runners while tasty,can run for hours, but only take seconds to kill, and that's all we
need. This contraption only needs 7 seconds from activation to destruction of the target road
runner!

Not fast enough

Better!
 Principals of Design
Rhythm

CONTRAST

UNITY
BLUEPRINT
Simple Machines
1. Wedge - The wedge is holding the car in place so it can be released at the same speed
each time the Rube Goldberg Machine is used

2. Pulley System - The pulley system catches the weight of the car and the potential energy
lifts the piece of wood on the opposite side with the kinetic energy

3. Inclined Plane - The inclined plane is used to so the marble can travel across the board at
different speeds

4. Screw - The marble falls into the screw and travels around to come out of the opposite
end

5. Lever - The lever gives out from the weight of the marble hitting it, and the marble
The Math behind it
Now were onto the most exciting part of our presentation the physics behind it!

The force of the car on step 1 of our project is .0093N. The real mechanical
advantage of the pulley in our second step is .59. The potential energy of the third
step in our project is .0042 J. The Kinetic Energy of the marble going down the
screw in step 4 is .03J. In step 5 when the marble falls out of the screw and rolls
down the ramp its velocity is .48m/s. In step 6 When the metal marble hits the
glass marble the impact force is .001N. In step 7 the real mechanical advantage is
0.4. The kinetic energy of the glass marble in step 8 is .0023J.The acceleration of
the marble in step 9 is 3.38m/s. The potential energy of the boulder falling is .03J.
Energy Transfers
1. On step 2, when the car falls into the pulley cup pulling on the sting lifting the wooden
board.

2. On step 6, a metal marble collides with a glass marble, transferring its energy to the
glass marble.

3. On step 7, the glass marble falls onto the lever, because it has more mass it pushes down,
causing the smaller marble to fall with the glass marble.

4. On step 10, when the glass marble collides boulder , energy is transferred from the
marble to the boulder causing it to fall off the edge.
 Work log day 1-5
Step Status/ Key
Work Day 1 2 3 4 5 incomplete
No start Found a start complete
1 peice yet peice Start peice in place Complete Work Halted
2 Mount in Pully found String found No cup No cup Not Started
Board Board replaced with class System Break
3 Peices found attached Dominos tested Board broke off of 2x4 two lever
Tube found and cut Tube tested and
4 to size Tube Screwed in place completed
Ramp in place with
5 sides
6 preices found lever in place and working
7 Parts found Ramp in place
8
9
10
 Work log day 6-9
Step Status/Work day 6 7 8 9 Key
1 incomplete
complete
2 Cup found
Work Halted
3 Lever finalized Not Started
4 System Break

5
6 Upgraded
7
8 Ramp parts found Ramp done
9 parts found Completed
10 Parts found
Coyote Loses Again!
Oh no! The road runner got away again. He really gave us a RUN for our money! Sorry, no
refunds!