1. Toothpaste Extravaganza
Engineering Fundamentals
151 sec (B2)

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

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

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

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

6. 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.

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

8. 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.

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