Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Not just a think tank. An entire army of think.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


         

Interactive Transmission Loss Exhibit For Science Museum

Swing the 10 pound hammer to see if you can break the wine glass...
  (+2)
(+2)
  [vote for,
against]

...after the energy you put into the Rube Goldberg style chain of systems dissipates the energy at every step.

1- You swing the massive heavy mallet that drives a heavy weight up a pole.

2- As the weight slides down the pole, it engages an electric generator.

3- That electric generator powers a motor turning a turbine that pushes water through a tube.

4- The water going through that tube rises up and turns a water wheel.

5- That water wheel powers a catapult that launches balls at a target on the back of a hammer that's hanging right in front of the wine glass.

Although more than enough energy was put into the system to smash the wine glass, a heavy ten pound mallet was slammed into the activator target on a table with enough force to smash dozens of wine glasses, the inefficiency of each step eventually dissipates all that force till the final step, the balls hitting the hammer result in nothing more than a gentle swing of the hammer, perhaps just tapping it gently.

Demonstrate how systems loose energy the more steps you put into them in a fun, interactive way for the kids.

Those are just a couple of ideas for steps between the initial activation and the final mechanism, but you'd have as many different methods of transmitting energy as possible. Mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, kinetic, even light, heat and sound. The generator powers a light that activates a solar cell that turns a fan that blows a wind turbine that vibrates a speaker that shakes wave machine that powers a... something or another.

doctorremulac3, Jun 04 2019


Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.



Annotation:







       Have the initial input be winding a crank, so that the user can increase their effort in real time.
pocmloc, Jun 04 2019
  

       This is a metaphor for representative democracy, right ?
8th of 7, Jun 04 2019
  

       //Have the initial input be winding a crank, so that the user can increase their effort in real time.//   

       My first idea was a stationary bike but I thought the hammer seemed like more fun and you have the direct comparison of a massive sledge hammer not being able to break a wine glass.   

       //This is a metaphor for representative democracy, right ?//   

       Bureaucracy.   

       I could have each step represent a bureaucrat. First step is billions of taxpayer dollars. Last step is taking care of the homeless crisis in America.   

       1- Funding is granted to create medical care facilities, drug and mental health treatment centers etc.   

       2- Bureaucracy overhead takes more and more each step of the way until all you get is free needles handed out to homeless people so they can inject heroin and leave the needles all over the street.   

       By the way, any of you furners want to see San Francisco, suggest you do it from Sausalito across the bay. It's beautiful from that distance and you don't step on used needles and human feces.   

       Hate to say it, but San Francisco is a third world shithole. Luckily, in Pacific Heights where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lives, they don't let the homeless into her neighborhood.   

       Ooops, did I slip up and get political? 8 started it. No buns for you Doctorremulac3, naughty naughty! (slaps hand)
doctorremulac3, Jun 04 2019
  

       Back to the sledgehammer choice, you'd still get to see how far down the chain you could get some movement. If the sliding thingy you launched with the sledgehammer reached the bell at the top of the pole the hammer at the end would swing just enough to touch the wine glass so you'd get a little "ding" sound from it.
doctorremulac3, Jun 04 2019
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle