The Light Bulb! “ Just to let you know you have a good idea” By: Heather Boynce, Chanci King, and Austin Graham

Step 1: A golf ball starts on the top of a 19 in. ramp having potential energy and rolls down the ramp gaining kinetic and rotational energy. mgh = ½ mv2 + ½ Iw2 Once at the bottom, the golf ball hits a wooden block and knocks it over, where the conservation of momentum is reserved between the ball and block. Mvball = mv’ball +mv’wood Vball – vwood = -(v’ball – v’wood)

Step 2 and 3: The block pulls a string which releases a tennis ball with potential energy. The tennis ball rolls down a pipe gaining kinetic and rotational energy. mgh = ½ mv2 + ½ Iw2 The tennis ball is projected onto a balancing piece of wood with some velocity and makes the wood unbalanced so that it tilts one end downward.

Step 4 and 5: When the unbalanced wood tilts one end down, the other end rises and pulls on a string. The other end of the string is attached to small rod which holds up a lever. The string pulls the rod out from under the lever causing it to fall. Once the lever falls it gains kinetic and rotational energy and lands on a mouse trap causing it to snap. As the mouse trap snaps, it pulls another string. This string is attached to a light bulb and causes the bulb to turn on.

Design and Construction Issues: The paper clips used to hold the pipe in place on the wood posts slows the tennis ball down as it goes down the slope. When the tennis ball is projected onto the balanced wood it has to hit in the right spot so that it does not fly off. Developing our contraption to incorporate the four required concepts. Adding support to the balanced wood so that the tennis ball rolls down the desired direction.

Conclusion: During this project, we incorporated what we learned this semester using calculations and concepts from class to build our very own overly-complicated device. ½ I w2 19 in. mgh ½ m v2 mgh ½ mv2 2.5 in. ½ Iw2 mgh