Score: 0
Contract 1/12 Run 1 Parts 0/2
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About Machine Mash

Build Rube Goldberg contraptions with ramps, levers, pulleys, gears, springs and screws in this free online simple machines game about mechanical advantage and energy transfer.

Machine Mash is a free online simple machines game in the spirit of The Incredible Machine. Every contract asks you to ring a bell with a silly Rube Goldberg contraption built from ramps, levers, pulleys, gears, springs and an Archimedes screw. The physics runs live, so you feel mechanical advantage instead of calculating it.

Each part is a real simple machine. A ramp is an inclined plane that trades height for sideways speed. A lever turns around its fulcrum: drop the heavy anvil on the short arm and the long arm flings a marble skyward, because the far end travels farther in the same time. The pulley shows mechanical advantage directly: with 3 ropes one marble can lift a gate three times heavier, but the gate rises only a third as far as the bucket falls. Meshed gears turn in opposite directions, and a small driven gear spins faster while pushing with less force. Springs store elastic potential energy, ½kx², and the screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.

The live energy panel tracks every joule. Height becomes motion, motion becomes machine movement, and some always leaks away as heat and sound. Engineers still use these six classic machines inside cranes, bikes, clocks and car jacks, and Rube Goldberg built his cartoon fame on exactly this kind of chain reaction.

Key Science Concepts

What You'll Learn

Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

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How to play

  1. 1. Read the Contract Each client wants a bell rung in an absurd way. Check the toolbox, par and bonus bolts.
  2. 2. Place Parts Tap a part in the toolbox, then tap the workshop. Drag placed parts to move them.
  3. 3. Tune the Machine Use the arrows on a part to set ramp angles, lever fulcrums, spring stiffness and gear ratios.
  4. 4. Run It! Press Run! to drop the marbles and watch energy flow from height to motion to sound.
  5. 5. Feel the Advantage Tap pulleys to change ropes. More ropes lift heavier loads, but only a fraction as far.
  6. 6. Score Big Solve on the first run, stay at par and grab golden bolts. Stuck? Hints unlock after a miss.

Frequently asked questions

Is Machine Mash free to play?
Yes. Machine Mash is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, install or account needed.
What grade level is Machine Mash for?
Machine Mash is designed for Elementary School, Middle School, High School students and works well as a classroom activity or homework.
Does Machine Mash work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Machine Mash runs in any modern browser on desktop computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones in landscape mode.

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