Roller Coaster Final Investigation

1. Roller Coaster Final Investigation

2. Choose a Question to Investigate How does hill height affect velocity? How does loop size affect velocity? How does mass affect velocity? How does the number of loops affect velocity? How does the number of hills affect velocity? How do the number of curves affect velocity? ** Write your own question to investigate**

3. Make A Plan: Methods* Write your plan in your Science Notebook Example: How Does Hill Height Affect Velocity? Make three roller coasters. One with a small hill, one with a medium hill, one with a large hill. Measure the height of the each hill in cm. Record it in your notebook. Draw pictures and label them. Calculate the speed of your marble on each coaster. Test each coaster at least three times. Record the speed in cm/s. You need distance of the track, and time in seconds. Record your data in a table. Make sure you only change the height of the hills. Use the same marble, and the same basic roller coaster design.

4. Make A Plan: Methods*Write your plan in your Science Notebook. Example: How Do the number of loops affect velocity? Make three roller coasters. One with a single loop, one with a double loop, one with a triple loop. Keep the loop shapes the same. Calculate the speed of your marble on each coaster. Test each coaster at least three times. Record the speed in cm/s. You need distance of the track, and time in seconds. Record your data in a table. Make sure you only change the number of loops. Use the same marble, and the same basic roller coaster design.

5. Collect Data: Science Notebook Test your roller coasters. Record the distance of your track. Record the time in seconds it takes for your marble to get from start to finish. Draw pictures of your coasters. Write down all of your thoughts. What is happening? What is working? What isn’t? Record hill heights, loop sizes, curves, the mass of your marbles.

6. Analyze: Discuss and Record in Your Science Notebook What is the answer to your question? What can you say is probably true about friction and gravity effecting your marble’s motion? What is affecting the velocity of your marble the most? What data did you collect that supports your ideas? Discuss how inertia affected the velocity of your marble.

7. Roller Coaster Poster • Create a poster to display your investigation. You need 4 parts to your poster. • Question • Methods • Data • Analyze

8. Roller Coaster Expo • 04 Dec 2012 • Take 5 minutes to put the finishing touches on your poster. • Find an area in the room to hang your poster. • The entire group will stand by the poster. • Decide who will be the first “talker”. • The other group members then become ”walkers”. • Make sure you have your science notebook with you.

9. Roller Coaster Expo Expo Rules You are either a Walker, or a Talker. You will do both, just not at the same time. Walker: *Go to each poster. *Read each poster. *No talking, until you ask the ‘Talker’ a question. *Ask the ‘Talker’ one question about their data. *Record the answer to the question in your science notebook. *What was the answer to your question? *How can your investigation be improved? *What was the most surprising thing about your results? *If you were to do this again, what would you change? Talker * It is your job to stand by your poster and answer questions from the walkers. * One person from your group only. * Take turns. Everyone in your group needs to take their turn as the talker.

10. 1. What was the answer to your question? 2. How can your investigation be improved? 3. What was the most surprising thing about your results? 4.If you were to do this again, what would you change?