Up, Up & Away (The Great Balloon Launcher) Laura Benoit Brandon Wright Gloria Neal Matthew Tipton

Overview This project was designed as a systematic balloon launcher. It starts with a simple ball dropping device which projects a marble to set off a domino effect. This reaction spurs a car to roll down a ramp and hits a pin which releases a balloon.

Description The process starts with a marble sitting on top of a piece of tissue paper that covers a hole in the bottom of a bucket. When a small amount of water is poured in the bucket, the tissue paper breaks and releases the marble. The marble falls down a hose and then launches into a row of dominos. The dominos climb up a set of steps until the final domino hits a small car which is perched on the top of a ramp. When the car gets down to the end of the ramp it hits a pin which slides through a piece of cardboard and releases a balloon that is attached to it.

1. Ball is put into the top of the bucket. 2. When water is poured onto the tissue paper, it causes the marble to drop 3. When the marble comes out of the tube, it sets off the domino effect

4. The dominos then set off the movement of the car down the track. 5. The car sets off the balloon through the launching contraption. 6. The entire project and all its parts.

Energy Conversions 1. Potential Energy (Gravitational) 2. Kinetic Energy 3. Potential Energy (Gravitational) 4. Kinetic Energy

Demonstration

Conclusion We used the engineering and physics skills learned this semester to make a device that completes a simple task.