Thames & Kosmos 550101, Experiment Manual

Page 1: ...1 0 www kosmos de Thames Kosmos 301 Friendship St Providence RI 02903 USA 1 800 587 2872 www thamesandkosmos com EXPERIMENT MANUAL QUICK START Want to get started right away without reading the manual Scan the QR code below to view online videos showing how to assemble and use this kit ...

Page 2: ... reconfigurable parts It will require a little practice and patience to put it together and to get the gumball to go exactly where you want it to go Your child will be particularly happy to have your help with the parts that he or she finds more difficult We wish you and your child lots of fun experimenting discovering and learning Safety Information Warning Not suitable for children under 3 years...

Page 3: ...tandard small machine sized gumballs which are 16 mm or 5 8 in 0 62 in in diameter No Description Qty 19 Domino piece erlenmeyer flask 2 20 Domino piece florence flask 2 21 Pendulum 1 22 180 degree smooth track 1 23 Momentum trap track 1 24 Variable slope track 1 25 Friction track 1 26 Centripetal force funnel 1 27 Pinball launcher 1 28 Domino track 1 29 Domino track post 1 30 Rubber bands for tra...

Page 4: ...hese uses multiple tracks and stunts See if you can get a gumball to make it all the way to the bottom 5 Test out your own track and stunt configurations too Can you design a gumball machine in which the gumballs make it to the bottom every single time they are dispensed IMPORTANT Your stunts will not work every time Sometimes gumballs will fall out of the track or stunt device We suggest placing ...

Page 5: ...gs to the base Slide them down until they snap into place 2 Slide the two vertical tower supports together all the way 3 Insert the tower into the base The tabs on the tower go into the holes in the base 4 Slide the globe base with dispenser and knob onto the top of the tower TOWER ASSEMBLY Gumball Machine Maker 3 1 2 3 4 ...

Page 6: ... any of the four sides There are circular pegs on each of the four sides of the tower In the assembly instructions the pegs are referred to from the top down For example this symbol means the second peg from the top 2 To attach tracks and other parts to the tower first put the peg through the round part of the hole in the track piece then slide the track piece down to lock it in place in the narro...

Page 7: ... the distance traveled by a body in a certain amount of time Velocity is a physics term for speed that also takes into account the direction of motion If a gumball travels five inches in one second its speed is five inches per second or 5 in s which is equal to about a quarter of a mile per hour Acceleration is the measure of the change in speed or more accurately velocity over a certain amount of...

Page 8: ...he same mass they have the same inertia Momentum is the combined effect of the mass and velocity of a body All moving bodies have momentum A fundamental rule of physics says that momentum is always conserved when two bodies collide When the gumballs collide the momentum from the moving gumball is transferred to the stationary gumball causing the latter to move The first gumball loses its momentum ...

Page 9: ...n a track with a high slope 2 Roll a gumball down the track and catch it at the end Observe what happens 3 Change the location of the track holder so that its hole is on the same level as the lower hole in the straight pivot post This changes the slope of the track 4 Roll a gumball down the track again Observe what happens this time Increase the slope of the track until the gumball rolls out of th...

Page 10: ...ttach the domino track to the tower at any location Insert the six dominos by carefully clicking them into the slots Insert the small domino track post at the end of the track Flip all the dominos so they are standing upright 2 Balance a gumball on the domino track post Have your hand ready to catch it when it falls Gently tap the uppermost domino over with your finger What do you observe 3 Reset ...

Page 11: ...it will wobble or fall over The slightest movement will make it tip over But its stability also depends on the force needed to push it off balance The pendulum has been specifically designed with a counterweight at the bottom that offers just enough inertia to keep the pendulum stable until the gumball enters the cup and knocks it out of stable equilibrium Track without dominos Experiment 7 No obs...

Page 12: ...hes back on the body The amount of force exerted on a spring is proportional to the amount or distance that the spring stretches or compresses The more momentum a gumball has when it hits the trampoline the more the rubber bands will stretch The more the rubber bands stretch the more force they will have to push back on the gumball When the trampoline bounces the gumball into the air the gumball b...

Page 13: ...e tube Experiment 11 Pulleys HERE S HOW 1 Attach the pulley wheel to the tower at a relatively high location using the straight pivot post Tie one end of the string to the arm of one pulley cup Tie the other end of the string to the arm of the second cup Hang the string from the pulley wheel with a cup on either side 2 Drop a gumball into one of the cups Drop a gumball into the other cup What happ...

Page 14: ... pivot post as described on page 10 attach the trampoline with the pivot post to the tower Attach it to the side of the tower under the dispenser knob on the second and third pegs from the top that is pegs 2 and 3 2 Rotate the model 180 degrees so the knob is facing backward Attach the pendulum with the angled pivot post to pegs 3 and 4 on the side of the tower opposite the knob 2 3 3 Rotate the m...

Page 15: ... and 9 on the three sides of the tower shown in the image 6 Rotate the model 90 degrees clockwise again Attach the pulley wheel with the straight pivot post to pegs 7 and 8 on the side of the tower to the left of the knob as shown Tie one end of the string to the arm of one pulley cup With a ruler measure five inches on the string starting at the point where you tied the string to the first pulley...

Page 16: ...e way from the dispenser down to the pulley cup Place a gumball in the momentum trap and in the pulley cup on the right The assembly is finished Now it s time to test the setup 8 It s a good idea to put the gumball machine on a tray in the lid of a box or on a piece of fabric like a tablecloth when you are experimenting with it The reason for this is that it is normal for gumballs to fall off the ...

Page 17: ...peg 1 on the next side of the tower to the right and its right side to peg 2 on the side of the tower opposite the knob 2 Rotate the model 180 degrees so the knob is facing backward Attach the 180 degree straight track to pegs 1 1 and 2 on the side of the tower opposite the momentum trap track 3 Attach the pinball launcher to pegs 3 and 4 on the sides under the 180 degree straight track as shown 1...

Page 18: ...s and the domino track post into the domino track The flat side of each domino should be facing the higher end of the domino track 4b Make sure all the dominos are standing straight up They will probably fall over during assembly Just set them back up again before each gumball run 5 Rotate the model 90 degrees Attach the centripetal force funnel to the tower Attach its left side to peg 5 and its r...

Page 19: ...unch it back out by pulling the trigger back and releasing it After a run return the gumball to the globe each time by taking the collection cup and dumping it into the globe funnel EXPERT SETUP 2 Done WHAT S HAPPENING In a perfect run the machine works like this On the first side the gumball drops out of the dispenser into the momentum trap track The gumball from the trap drops into the pinball l...

Page 20: ...s shown Pay attention to the knob location 2 Rotate the model 180 degrees so the knob is facing forward Attach the momentum trap track to the tower to pegs 1 1 and 2 on the sides of the tower as shown 3 Attach the domino track to pegs 3 and 4 on the sides under the momentum trap track as shown 3a Insert the six dominos and the domino track post into the domino track 1 2 1 180 1 2 1 3 4 18 1 2 3 3a...

Page 21: ...ck with the straight pivot post and the holder to pegs 7 6 and 7 as shown 6 Rotate the model 90 degrees Attach the friction track to pegs 8 and 9 as shown 7 Attach the pulley wheel and cups to pegs 4 and 5 as shown The string between the pulley cups should be 8 inches long EXPERT SETUP 3 7 90 4 5 90 7 6 7 90 8 9 4 5 8 inches of string 19 Gumball Machine Maker 4 5 6 ...

Page 22: ... and dumping it into the globe funnel EXPERT SETUP 3 9 10 8 WHAT S HAPPENING In a perfect run the machine works like this The tracks and stunts function similar to how they did in the previous setups The new elements in this setup are the friction track and the pendulum The friction track slows the gumball down You might notice the gumball makes more sound when it goes down the friction track The ...

Page 23: ...ked to provide evidence to the publisher of their image rights so that they may be paid an image fee in line with the industry standard Distributed in North America by Thames Kosmos LLC Providence RI 02903 Phone 800 587 2872 Web www thamesandkosmos com We reserve the right to make technical changes Printed in Taiwan Imprimé en Taiwan Kosmos Quality and Safety More than one hundred years of experti...

Page 24: ...mple the bodies deform and the collision releases heat and sound energy Inertia Inertia is tendency of a body to remain at rest or in motion Kinetic energy Kinetic energy is the energy of motion Mass Mass is the quantity of matter in an object or a body Matter Matter is any physical substance that occupies space Momentum Momentum is the combined effect of the mass and velocity of a body Pendulum A...