Scioly.org

A bunch of FAQs just went up on soinc- http://soinc.org/node/297
I'm glad to see the FAQ being started this early!

Just to clear something up, are mousetraps different from rattraps? So they are allowed to be used?

themaker wrote:Just to clear something up, are mousetraps different from rattraps? So they are allowed to be used?

Correct, there is a difference. If you are referring to type of spring traps pictured below, mouse traps are allowed but rat traps are not. Rat traps are larger than mouse traps, so they can easily break fingers, which is probably why they are not allowed.

Could one device possibly count for 2 different types of energy? For example, can lighting a match count for thermal and light energy? If not, if I had 2 matches could one count for thermal and one count for visible?

Since I can't find it clearly defined in the rules for this year, is it safe to assume that the point system for regular scoring energy transfers is the same as last year's?

mwalsh101 wrote:Since I can't find it clearly defined in the rules for this year, is it safe to assume that the point system for regular scoring energy transfers is the same as last year's?

You should never assume anything follows the same rules as last year's event. Everything you need to know should be in the rules.

This year every ETS is just scored at 60 points each.

According to rule 4.b, the golfball cannot be counted as an energy form. So in that case, would this not count as an ETS: golfball hits switch to turn on motor that lifts another golfball (M-E-M)? This makes the movement of the golfball hitting the switch mechanical energy. (of course it can also be argued that since the switch moved, thats mechanical part in the ETS).

This is my first Mission, and I honestly don't know where to start. I did preliminary research, drew up a potential design, and watched examples ad nauseum, but I am baffled on actually constructing my own apparatus. Any thoughts?

Does the golf ball need to go through the entire device or just be dropped in (triggering the first event) and end up in the bucket? Meaning does the ball get pushed, blown, etc. throughout the device triggering one and then the next and so on energy transfers? and the same with the subsequent balls being released? thank you.

Since the ETS is initiated by the process of the golf ball moving upwards, does that mean that during the process the golf ball can trigger an ETS and that while the ETS is going the golf ball may still be making it's way to the jug?

Also, do all balls have to start underneath the jug or do they just have to end up lower than the jug at one point in time?