Designs

[goodcheer]

Be sure to check the FAQs regarding Mission Possible on the official Science Olympiad website! Though the rules do not explicitly describe the features of a container that make it a jug, it is clearly stated in an FAQ. A lot of the teams at our invitational yesterday used soda/pop bottles, which unfortunately did not count as jugs.

What is your definition of jug? (section: 4 / paragraph: 1 / line: 4-5)
We will be using the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of a jug: "A large, deep container with a narrow opening and a handle." Per the rules, the jug must be made of plastic and also have been used for a beverage. Specific size of the jug is not defined.

That's unfortunate the soda bottles did not count at the invitational. As Chalker suggests it seems they would qualify per ethics rule #1. However the FAQ answer including a handle has confused the issue for some. In my opinion, since one synonym for jug is bottle, bottle should work. Also, most plastic beverage bottles have the plastic molded in such a way making it easy to "handle" the bottle. If the plastic is designed in such a way to enable one to handle the bottle, hasn't a "handle" been created? Thus, this seems to be a problem with semantics. The definition of handle is "a part designed to be grasped by the hand." A gallon jug has to have one type of handle in order to grasp it and a smaller bottle has another designed way (handle) to grasp it. Just my opinion.

[goodcheer]

Does the final golf ball to activate the buzzer have to be dropped into a scoring jug? Also, if it doesn't, then am I correct in assuming that if the final golf ball doesn't drop into a scoring jug but activates a buzzer, the 250 pts for the final task will still be given?

Note the wording for the final task: "The last golf ball to be counted must trigger a switch to activate a buzzer...." It seems to me the rules were written to indicate the last golf ball needs "to be counted." For it to count, it must drop into a jug. So, in my opinion, it would be safer to make the last ball count and turn on the buzzer.

[gorf250]

Chalkers, I've sent in many requests for clarification this season for Mission, and haven't received a single response. Some of them have been 2 months or so. In the past, I've sent in MANY clarifications and received responses so I was wondering if you know what's up. Is there some horrendous backlog of Mission FAQs, or is it possibly a problem on my end with receiving the emails?

[fr3nk]

Does anyone know if the buzzer has to be electrical? i.e. a motor hitting a soup lid.

[bernard]

Does anyone know if the buzzer has to be electrical? i.e. a motor hitting a soup lid.

A definition for "buzzer" was posted as an FAQ on the official Science Olympiad website. General rule #1 applies.

What defines a "buzzer"? (section: 4 / paragraph: c / line: 3)
It is an audio signaling device producing a buzzing sound by vibration.

[bernard]

Chalkers, I've sent in many requests for clarification this season for Mission, and haven't received a single response. Some of them have been 2 months or so. In the past, I've sent in MANY clarifications and received responses so I was wondering if you know what's up. Is there some horrendous backlog of Mission FAQs, or is it possibly a problem on my end with receiving the emails?

An FAQ was posted on December 01, 2014 which means they have been addressing questions recently. Since you submitted your questions before this date, my guess would be that you either submitted a question that they will not answer (see below) or the people behind the FAQs are still trying to determine the most reasonable answer (though this is just a guess).

Questions that will not receive a reply: those that are already answered and posted, what materials to use, how to build a device, if a device complies to the rules, what will be covered on a test, how to coach the event. These questions should go to your Coach or see the links under EVENT INFO.

If you think it might be possible for the Scioly.org community to answer your question, consider posting it here.

[regor2]

I don't see anything that says that you can not have the beverage jug on it's side. Is it OK to have the jug at an angle other than perpendicular with the floor?
I submitted a question on the FAQ a while ago but no response yet.

[goodcheer]

I don't see anything that says that you can not have the beverage jug on it's side. Is it OK to have the jug at an angle other than perpendicular with the floor?
I submitted a question on the FAQ a while ago but no response yet.

Good question. Just my opinion, but it seems it would be ok as long as all the other rules about the jug were followed: remain at or above same level, sides 10 cm or greater, etc. You would still have to raise a golf ball and drop it into the jug to count. It should be possible to do that if the jug were at various angles. However, I can see a potential problem with a horizontal positioned jug: rule 5.j speaks of the ball staying in the jug. It is possible the ball could roll out of a horizontal jug.

[regor2]

I don't see anything that says that you can not have the beverage jug on it's side. Is it OK to have the jug at an angle other than perpendicular with the floor?
I submitted a question on the FAQ a while ago but no response yet.

Good question. Just my opinion, but it seems it would be ok as long as all the other rules about the jug were followed: remain at or above same level, sides 10 cm or greater, etc. You would still have to raise a golf ball and drop it into the jug to count. It should be possible to do that if the jug were at various angles. However, I can see a potential problem with a horizontal positioned jug: rule 5.j speaks of the ball staying in the jug. It is possible the ball could roll out of a horizontal jug.

As of now, I plan to have a seesaw design with the ball on one side and the container on the other.

[sjwon3789]

What does it mean by an "altered" golf ball? Can we add something to it? (As long as we don't break it or anything...?)

Thanks!