Toothpaste Extravaganza Engineering Fundamentals 151 sec (B2)

Our Team Travis Brown, prospective Mechanical Engineer Sean Nester, Biosystems Engineering Andy Gunnels, Electrical Engineer in training Justin Maphet, All Around handy man

Using wood and a toy car, we will squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush.

The Setup Rubber band launcher Wood track Car with razor blade Car track String holding up a water bottle Toothbrush and toothpaste underneath it

Materials Rubber band launcher Wood track Car track Thread Bottle with weight Lots of wood

First… The rubber band will project the wooden rod… This demonstrates the change from elastic potential to kinetic energy, from the rubber band to the wooden rod.

Then… The Wooden dowel will hit the car with the razor blade… Showing a transfer in kinetic energy from the wood to the car.

Finally… The car will cut the string with the razor blade, dropping the bottle onto the toothpaste. The razor blade will release the force holding the bottle up, which changes gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy.

What did we learn? It is easier to squeeze the toothpaste yourself It is harder to build this device than we originally believed.