Automatic Sorting Machine

Problem:

This project looks to design and address how sorting mechanisms work in various real life applications. For example:

• Factories

• Mailing

As part of the project, I have designed a marble sorting machine that sorts marbles based on their weight. The problem we need to solve is:

How can I sort marbles by weight accurately?

Method:

1. Cut one of the small sides of a long cardboard box off with scissors.

2. Repeat step 1 for two more boxes, so you have three boxes in total.

3. Attach two of the boxes together with tape so that the cut-off side of both boxes are on top of each other.

4. Do this with another box but off-set the 3rd box so, the first two boxes are in the back but this box is closer to you.

5. Make sure that the open side of the 3 boxes are on the left and the top box is closer to you.

6. Put the boxes on the side and begin the chute by getting a piece of cardboard, as tall as the three boxes, on top of each other and bend the cardboard so that it is a tube.

7. Repeat step 6 but make the tube a bit shorter.

8. Get a toilet paper roll and cut it in half.

9. Attach the half-toilet paper roll to the 2 tubes with tape so, the hole in the middle of the tubes is attached to the roll.

10. Attach a square piece of cardboard to the 2 tubes at the bottom.

11. Put the chute to the side and begin the balance by attaching a long cardboard rectangle to a straw on the bottom so that the straw is going lengthways across the short part of the rectangle.

12. On one side of the rectangle, attach a full toilet paper roll on the top going the same way as the straw with tape.

13. On the opposite side of the toilet paper roll, attach 1 medium marble and 1 small marble to the cardboard with tape.

14. Put a skewer through the straw.

15. Put the balance to the side and cut a long cardboard box in half.

16. Attach the 2 halves of the cardboard box to the skewer, you just put through the straw, with tape so that the cut-off side of the half-box is on the bottom.

17. Now attach all of the things you made to a rectangular piece of cardboard so, the slanted chute goes into the cardboard roll of the balance and the off-centered cardboard box goes towards the counterweight of the balance.

18. You can now test it! Put a small marble on the top of the chute and it will roll into the top box. A medium marble will go into the middle box, and a large marble will go into the bottom box.

Analysis Chart:

Size of Marble | Big Marble | Medium Marble | Small Marble

Where Marble Went | Bottom Box | Middle Box | Top Box

Weight | 20 grams | 15 grams | 5 grams

Notes: | The slower the marble goes, the better the chances. | This marble kind of bent the cardboard to go in the middle. | Virtually no errors in the process of going into its box.

Conclusion:

I learned that building this machine is actually really hard but once you build it, it’s actually amazing. It can be used in many different areas but specifically mailing parcels where this marble sorting machine can be modernized to sort different mail types.

Citations:

101 Great Science Experiments by Neil Ardley: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/101-great-science-experiments-a-step-by-step-guide/9781465428264.html

Acknowledgements:

My parents contributed a lot to this project, and gave me help whenever I needed it, for example holding tape, recording my project, and giving me ideas. My science teacher, Mr. Halle, also helped me with ideas when I got stuck.