The Fortune Teller

1. The Fortune Teller Tyler Huber, Hanya Senno, Jody Dykes, and Jessica Millsaps

2. OUR IDEA: After eating at P.F. Chang’s, we were too lazy to break open the fortune cookie ourselves. We designed the Fortune Teller to do it for us.

3. The Fortune Teller is a Rube-Goldberg device that breaks a fortune cookie open in order to see the fortune inside. It is a simple device consisting of a chain of events that lead to a mallet being knocked down to break open the fortune cookie.

4. How It works

5. Measurements

6. Calculations • Wooden ball to marble • Calculate velocity of wooden ball as it hits the marble • 1/2mvi 2 + mghi=1/2mvf2 + mghf • Givens: vi =0 ft/sec, hi=7 in (or .583 ft), hf=.5 in (or .042 ft), and m=6.2*10-5 slugs • vf = 3.67*10-4 ft/sec. • Marble to wooden blocks • Calculate velocity of marble when it first moves down the ramp • m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1′ + m2v2′ • Givens: m1= mass of ball=6.2*10-5 slugs, v1= 3.67*10-4 ft/sec, m2=mass of marble=.0011 slugs, v2=0 ft/sec and v1′= 0 ft/sec • velocity of the marble v2′ = 2.035 *10-5 ft/sec

7. Calculations • Marble to wooden block • Calculate velocity at which the marble hits the wooden block • (1/2mvi 2 + mghi=1/2mvf2 + mghf) • Givens: vi=2.035 *10-5 ft/sec, hi=18.25 in (1.52 ft), hf =14.5 in (or 1.21 ft), and m= .0011 slugs • vf= .0049 ft/sec • Velocity of wooden block after it is hit • (m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1′ + m2v2′) • Givens: m1=mass of marble=.0011slugs, v1=.0049 ft/sec, m2=mass of wooden block=7.45*10-3 slugs, v2=0 ft/sec, and v1′=0 ft/sec • v2′=.0072 ft/sec • Assume that velocity is constant throughout the domino effect

8. Calculations • Boot to mallet • (m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1′ + m2v2′) • Givens: m1=mass of the boot=.003 slugs, v1=.0072 ft/sec, m2=mass of mallet=.039 slugs, v2=0 ft/sec, and v1′=0 ft/sec • v2′= 5.64*10-4 ft/sec

9. “Money, Money, Money”aka Expenses • The bill of materials for this project consists of wood, costing around $6, paint ($7), and the mallet ($2). Total cost $15 • All other materials were obtained from our previous possessions and the fortune cookies were given to us for free. 

10. Conclusion • Overall, we were successful in creating a working Rube-Goldberg device. • Problems we incurred during the project included finding a way to create a heavy enough mass on the boot for it to knock the mallet over and creating a strong foundation to hold the mallet. • Another problem we came upon after building the device was that the distance between the mallet and boot was a little too close. • We solved this by adding paper in between the mallet and its back support.

11. *Random Pictures of our group*We love engineering! Can’t you tell? WHAT A STUDLY ENGINEERING TA!!