Transfer question

[HeatherFeather]

Can the end of one transfer be counted as the start of the next transfer?

Example:
1. racquetball to 1st class lever - counts as start task (100 points)
2. 1st class lever to wedge - 25 point transfer
3. wedge to mousetrap - potential energy device, no points
4. mousetrap to wheel and axles - potential energy device, no points
5. wheel and axle to pulley - 25 points
6. pulley to inclined plane - 25 points
etc. etc.

or would the points for the above be tallied as follows:

Example:
1. racquetball to 1st class lever - counts as start task (100 points) (lever to wedge does not count because wedge is already part of the first transfer)
2. wedge to mousetrap - potential energy device, no points
4. mousetrap to wheel and axles - potential energy device, no points
5. wheel and axle to pulley - 25 points
6. inclined plane - screw - 25 points
etc. etc.

[HeatherFeather]

One more question, sorry - for potential energy devices such as mousetraps, if the PE device is connected to something like a screw, can the screw be counted as part of the starting task? or does there need to be something between the PE device and the starting task?

Let's say a mousetrap spring turns a screw which winds up a string connected to a pulley. This would count as a screw - pulley transfer?

[HeatherFeather]

Is there anybody out there? Perhaps my questions are not clear, let me try to re-word it.

If there is a potential energy device (such as a mousetrap) between two simple machines, does the PE device break up the chain, so that the transfer is not counted?

ie let's say pulley - wheel - PE device - screw : would the wheel - screw transfer count? or does it not count because of the PE device in-between?

or let's say that there is something else, like a marble shoot between two machines - would that not count as a transfer?

so lever - wedge - dislodges marble which rolls through tube to pulley ---- can you still claim a wedge to pulley transfer for this even though there is a tube between the two?

[stingrayboss12]

All of these questions are answered here: https://www.soinc.org/node/265
It also answers your question on the "order of tasks" thread
hope this helped!

[HeatherFeather]

Thank you stingray! that answered a lot of questions.

Are the answers on the above link "official"? I'm at the Langham Creek HS invitational, and they did not count one of our transfers that went through a potential energy device.... the above link states that the end of one machine does NOT have to directly link to the start of the next simple machine, that the transfer should still count if there is a potential energy device in-between....

They are also not counting one of our wedges as a wedge - it is a triangle that is raised by a string which bumps into a ball that rolls down an incline and then off the incline into a pulley system. The triangle wedge separates the ball and the inclined plane, so I would count that as a wedge - they said it initiates the motion, but does not separate the two solids.... I guess we'll modify it before the next competition!

[stingrayboss12]

The link is to the national FAQs of the national Science Olympiad website. It is official, although if you want to be absolutely sure, you should submit a clarification for your state.

As for your invitational dilemma, I would suggest showing the website to the event supervisor at the next competition if they still don't count that transfer.

However, with your wedge, I agree with their decision. The wedge does not directly separate the two objects. You could maybe lean the ball against a wall and have the wedge come down and separate the ball from the wall so it rolls down a ramp. That would work.