Roller Coaster Lab. Teachers Initial (good plan). Now, you can get your material.

Transcription

1 Roller Coaster Lab Objective: 1) Make a WORKING Roller Coaster out of the materials below. They key is that the marble stays in the track (tubing). You will also try to catch the marble at the end of the track. 2) Determine the speed, acceleration and momentum of the marble at various points along the track 3) Type up and answer the questions/procedure as stated in the rubric 4) Create graphs of your data as stated in the rubric. Materials (per group) you will get your material after providing a good design. 2 six foot sections of ¾ inch inner diameter, pipe insulation track 1 marble cup (to catch marble at end of track) ~masking tape Timer (preferably a stopwatch) Balance Procedure: 1) Make a NEAT drawing of your planned Roller Coaster in the box below. Note: You can tape the track to the wall, table, chairs, etc. However, no one should have to stand on a Table/Desk/Chair for ANY reason. Label on the track; 0 m, 1 m, 2m, and m as the finish line. Teachers Initial (good plan). Now, you can get your material.

2 HYPOTHESIS 1: How do you think the shape of the track will affect the marbles speed (for example, describe where the speed was the greatest and least and hypothesize how the shape or position affected the marble)? Hypothesis 2: How do you think the velocity of the marble will affect acceleration (for example, if the velocity is slowing down, what will its acceleration be)? 2) Use a SHORT (2 cm) piece of tape and a ruler to label the marble s starting point, 1 m, 2m and m as the finish line. 3) Begin making your Roller Coaster. 5) Test your Coaster when appropriate by placing and letting the marble go down the track. You should not have to hold the track while it the marble is in the track. 6) Modify the Roller Coaster as needed so that the marble will stay in the track. 7) When your design works try incorporating a cup at the end of the track to catch the marble. 8) Collecting Data a. Find the marble s mass (g). b. Fill in the data table below. This will require 3 people: A) person to keep track of time, B) a recorder/observer noting when the marble reaches 1m, 2m, and m, and C) another person who lets the marble go.

3 Distance ( ) DATA TABLE (THREE TRIALS) Time ( ) Speed ( ) Momentum ( ) Acceleration ( ) 0 0 What is the name of your Roller Coaster? What is the mass of the marble?

4 Questions/Analysis: 1) What are the units for velocity, momentum, and acceleration. Fill in the data table above. 2) Determine the Speed for 0m, 1m, 2m and m. Show your work below for m. 3) Determine the Average Speed of the marble using trial 2 (total distance traveled/total time). Show your work below for m. 4) Determine the Acceleration for trial 2 from 1m to m. Show your work. Note: It is ok to have a negative acceleration. 5) Determine the Acceleration for trial 3 from 1m to 2m. Show your work. Note: It is ok to have a negative acceleration. 6) Determine the marble s momentum at 0m, 1m, 2m, and m. Show your work for trial 1 at 2 m. Graphing Tasks a. On GRAPH PAPER, create 2 graphs: i. distance vs. time (time on the x-axis) Make sure to: A) label of x and y-axis, B) units labeled for x and y-axis, C) determine an appropriate unit between tick marks, and D) title of graph. ii. Time vs. Speed (Time on x-axis) Make sure to: A) label of x and y-axis, B) units labeled for x and y-axis, C) determine an appropriate unit between tick marks, and D) title of graph. b. Answer the following Questions based on your graphs (for help, see Chapter 18 in your Science book).

5 i. How does the slope of the speed vs. time graph change if the object were accelerating more rapidly? ii. What do you think the graph of a decelerating object look like? 7) What was the hardest feature for your team to get right in your design and why? 8) Why did banking the curves (sloping the track laterally along the curve) keep the marble from flying off the track? Define and discuss centripetal force. Conclusion: 1) Explain how the shape or position of the track affected the speed of the marble (for example, describe where the speed was the greatest and least and hypothesize how the shape or position affected the marble). State whether or not your data supported hypothesis 1. 2) Explain how the velocity of the marble affected acceleration (for example, if the velocity is slowing down, what will its acceleration be). State whether or not your data supported hypothesis 2. Challenge- Experiment with heavier marbles. How will the increased mass affect the marbles speed?