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Outreach

Challenge -
The ultimate
chain reaction

Deadline - 21 May 2025

To celebrate NPL’s 125 anniversary we are launching on 2nd April 2025 a UK wide challenge!

Teams and individuals are tasked with designing and building a Rube Goldberg Machine that can celebrate as many SI units and demonstrate a variety of energy exchanges.​

Challenge open to all ages*!

What do you have to do?

  • Design and build your own chain reaction machine
  • Video it
  • Send it in with an explanation!

Deadline 21 May 2025

Email a link to your video and a PDF of your A4 explanation to:​ Outreach@NPL.co.uk ​

Entries should be sent by responsible adults (teachers, parents, carers etc.)

 

What you need to know

Your Rube Goldberg machine should meet the following criteria

  1. Get into a team of max. 5​
  2. Functioning machine:​
    • Minimum of 7 stages​
    • Maximum of 10 stages​
    • Film and upload to YouTube, or on a platform with a link to watch it. (No faces or form of identification allowed in shot, be careful of your background)

  3. Celebrate SI Units​

    • With 7 base SI units we would encourage you to incorporate as many of them as possible, be creative with how you include them all.​

  4. Explore Energy Exchanges​

    • Your machine should showcase different forms of energy transfer.​

  5. Written Explanation​

    • Accompany your machine with a one-page explanation, A4 page, discussing the SI units used in your machine and the energy exchanges that occur throughout the machine.​

    • Include design images!​

    • Include group members first names only and ages​

How to submit

Email a link to your video and a PDF of your A4 explanation to:​ Outreach@NPL.co.uk ​

Deadline 21st May 2025

Entries should be sent by responsible adults (teachers, parents, carers etc.)​

Prize

We will judge working and NON working machines, ideas are celebrated! The best entrants will be showcased at NPL Open Day, YouTube and social media, and may even be rebuilt in NPL.​

Top prize

£50 (one4all) voucher per student voucher per student and visit to school.​

Runners up x3​

£10 voucher per student.​

There will be trophies for​

  • Get Connected – The best WORKING Rube Goldberg machines​
  • Be Bold – The most elaborate machine​
  • Give it our all – The best A4 explanation (regardless of machine success)​

There will be a primary school heat and secondary/further education, and 18+​

*Adults can enter, no cash prizes just commendations​​

 

Terms and conditions

  1. The National Physical Laboratory, London (“NPL”) is running the Ultimate Chain Reaction Challenge 2025 to celebrate NPL’s 125 anniversary and 150 years of the Metre Convention. By entering the Challenge, the entrant is indicating their agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. 

  1. For an entry to be valid it must comply with the rules and procedures in this document. 

  1. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. 

  1. NPL reserve the right to cancel or amend the Challenge and these terms and conditions without notice. 

  1. NPL decision in respect of all matters to do with the Challenge will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. 

  1. There should be no risk or cause of injury or harm to humans or animals in your entry. 

  1. If music is used in the video, you must prove rights to the audio. 

  1. Awards will be subject to change at any point. 

  1. In the event of persons or schools being identifiable we may ask to refilm. 

  1. The challenge and these terms and conditions will be governed by the Law of England and Wales and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England. 

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