If the material is unclear, ask your teacher, parent, or an official to clarify. If you don’t follow the rules, you may get a poor grade or be disqualified from the competition. [2] X Research source
Open or close a door Turn on a light Turn off an alarm Pour a bowl of cereal Turn on a faucet
Rube Goldberg’s original cartoons Rube Goldberg Competition submissions YouTube videos of functioning Rube Goldberg machines
Dominos Wooden boards Toilet paper rolls CDs or floppy discs Fans Toy cars Skateboards Action figures PVC pipe Duct Tape Peg boards Zip Ties Magnets Marbles String Get creative![3] X Research source
Ask yourself questions throughout the process. What object can you use to send a car down a wooden ramp? What materials will you need to make a pendulum? What can you make with a lever, a marble, and an action figure?
Task: Pop a balloon. Step 3: A tack will pop the balloon. The tack will be attached to the front of a toy car. Link 1: The toy car will slide down a wooden ramp. Step 2: A pendulum will swing into the car and push it down the wooden ramp. Step 1: I will send the pendulum towards the car at the top of the wooden ramp.
If you run into an issue, don’t panic. Return to your notes and see if you can combine the materials in a different way. If you are using tools, ask an adult for help. [4] X Research source
Can you quickly fix the problem? Do you need to replace an entire step? Are you using the best materials? Is your task possible to achieve?
What steps are working? What steps are preventing the machine from working? Is your task achievable?
Before you present the machine, practice taking it apart and putting it back together several times.
