Challenge 1 -One minute timer

Okay so this was the first challenge we had to complete during the competition. We had a box of limited supplies and had to create a device that would measure exactly one minute and give a clear signal that said minute was up.

This was the basis of ours:
1) Sand runs from funnel into cylinder.
2) The cylinder increases in mass thus falling and pushing the other side of the balance uo.
3)The crocodile clip attached to the mass will touch the foil and complete the circuit thus switching the light bulb on.

Equipment:
We seriously didn't have much so DIYed some of it.
We used blue tac to attach the cylinder to the balance.
We used a ruler as the balance pole
We used a glasses case as the balance base.
We used rubbers as masses.
We used tin foil as wires.

Diagram:

done on paint so it's not great sorry.










So we were 40s over as the funnel was mis-positioned when we did it but came top in our room as we actually scored! I'll try to upload challenge 2 soon.

Check out my other general blog: www.howstheskull-mycroft.blogspot.com