Lights Out! (Period 2) (Pair Event) (Commons) (Entry Restricted to the first two groups per class.)
(a) Your machine may be no larger than 1 meter X 1 meter X 1 meter.
(b) Your machine must use 3 different energies and 3 different machines from the table below.
Types of Energies 3 Types of Machines
Light (other than candle) Pulley
Mechanical/Gravitational Lever
Heat Incline Plane
Intentional Sound Gears
Electrical Other?
(c) One of these cause and effect events must be a pre-approvedsafe chemical reaction. The change must occur at the molecular level. Suggestions are baking soda/vinegar and alka-selser/water.
(d) Approval for your chemical reaction must occur before the entry deadline.
(e) Your machine must be triggered manually by a steel ball, 67 grams and 2.5 cm in diameter to be provided by the judges.
(f) The first event shall be triggered manually, however, no external energy may be added to the machine. Each subsequent event shall be triggered by the one immediately preceding it. Once the steel ball is set in motion the machine must perpetuate itself. All steps do not need to be relevant to completing the task of extinguishing the candle.
(g) The machine that executes all seven events and extinguishes a candle closest to one minute shall win.
(h) Each group must clean up their competition area after completion.
(i) Any machine deemed unsafe or potentially harmful will be disqualified. The decision of the judges is final.
(k) Qualification times can only be recorded in the presence of the judge. You will only be guaranteed one attempt in front of the judge to qualify. Additional attempts will be recorded by the judge as time and fairness will allow.
(l) On the day of the competition, you must give the judge a list of energy transformations to hasten the check-in process. Make sure your name appears on the machine.
(m) If your machine does not extinguish the candle, write a short paper about explaining why failure occurred and how you could improve your project so that the candle would go out.
(n) Return the ball to the teacher from which you checked it out the next day in class.
MINIMUM STANDARDS: Construct and operate a machine that successfully trigger the above 6 events and be able to show that the machine design could have worked to extinguish the candle. Each group must also meet safety standards and clean up their competition area.