Question

[zainabf]

Is there a way how to crush machines division b at regionals and any valuable links or resources?

[azboy1910]

I'm not exactly sure how to do well in machines, probably just understanding concepts, studying, and practice tests perhaps, but here are some resources that I believe could help:

• https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/2021_Test_Exchange

• https://scioly.org/tests/

• https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Machines

• https://www.soinc.org/machines-b

[RiverWalker88]

Is there a way how to crush machines division b at regionals and any valuable links or resources?

Hey!

The thing about Machines is that it's very practice and understanding based, it's less of how much you know, but more of a how well you can work with what you know. There are some excellent resources on https://soinc.org/machines-b, as well as on the Machines Wiki page that go through a lot of what you need to learn for this event. The biggest part to this event is being able to fit everything together. Machines isn't really a plug-and-chug event, where you memorize a bunch of facts and formulae and plug things in. You have to get comfortable working with analyzing what is going on, what the question is asking, and how you can use the relationships you know to get from point A to point B (sometimes, there isn't even a formula you can use for it, you really have to solidly analyze what's going on with the forces and distances in the diagram, what's going to be accelerating where, that sort of thing).

So, once you've gotten the basis of the stuff listed on the Machines rules, my advice would be to practice, but past that, try to see what's really going on in every diagram. The better the understanding you have of how a mechanical system works, the better you will be able to get from what you're given to what the question wants, and the better you will score.

Good luck, and have fun!