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Down Hill Crash

Focus questions
Procedure
Data & graphs
Photo album

Focus Questions

How far can a car push a bale of different weight?
Can the car crash into a bale and not move the bale?
What is the least amount the bale will move?
How does adding weight (washers) to the bale change the distance it will slide when it is hit by the car?
How does changing the angle change how far it will slide?
How does adding weight to the car change the distance the bale will slide?

Procedure

The tower for this track is the same as the K'Nex Down Hill Thrill tower. However, it is modified to make it shorter for some of the investigations. The track is from two sets, which are joined with the track stretched across the carpet with the car coming off onto tile.

Distance was measured from the end of the track.
The number of washers was changed from zero to seventeen for the investigation data below.
Three trials were made and recorded in a spreadsheet and graphed with the software.
Learners who participated were a mixed age group from 10-12 years old.

Data & graphs

Different Mass & Distance the Car Traveled on Tile from the End of the Track

Number of washers Distance in inches	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
Trial 1	62	92	92	104	108	118	112	127	89	133	108	85	88	101	23	78	33	33
Trial 2	98	91	67	104	67	121	106	114	131	120	108	96	107	14	68	15	122	23
Trial 3	68	92	83	103	104	106	90	123	22	121	105	116	110	117	120	68	23	23
Mean	76	92	81	104	93	115	103	121	81	125	107	99	102	77	70	54	59	26