MSU Extension 4-H

What you need to know:

Engineering is a process used to solve problems by designing, building and testing things. An engineer is a person who uses math and science to create new things, solve problems or make things better. Engineers are in charge of building machines to accomplish many different tasks such as moving materials from one place to another or putting a product together. A Rube Goldberg machine is built to accomplish a simple task in an interesting way. (Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist and inventor known for his cartoons showing complicated gadgets performing simple tasks.)

What you will do and learn:

In this activity, you will use engineering skills to design and build a Rube Goldberg machine to get a marble through a cardboard tube and into a cup. You can use any materials to build your machine and build it any way you want as long as it results in the marble moving through a tube and into a cup as the last step. Try using multiple materials to find an interesting way to end up with the marble in a cup.