1. Title: Energy Thief 2

2. Purpose: To determine how the shape of a track determines how much energy is lost to friction on the marble coaster.
3. Materials: Two foam tracks, marble, meter stick, masking tape, supports for track, calculator
4. Procedure:

a. Set the track up as shown in the illustration. Raise both ends of the track to a height of about 1 meter above the floor or lab table. Tape the track to the floor or table and the supports to prevent it from breaking.
b. Mark a starting point with a piece of tape. Consider this point A. Record the height (h1) in centimeters.
c. Release the marble from point A. and mark with a piece of tape the height that it reaches on the uphill slope. Consider this point B. Record the height (h2) of point B on the data table. Repeat 3 times for each position until the first 2 columns are complete.

5. Data Tables: Print 3 copies of the Data Table for the recording of your data.

Tube #1 Tall

Tube #2 Wide

Tube #3 with one loop

For each shape complete a data table.

6. Data analysis:

Create a spreadsheet to calculate results for each tube.
Describe any differences in data between tube 1, 2 and 3.

7. Conclusion: (Why did you get these results?)

a. Explain the reasons for any similarities or differences.
b. How does the shape affect the efficiency of your marble-coaster system?
c. How does the length of the coaster affect the results? (That is, you used two instead of one.)
d. Does the average efficiency change for each tube design? Why or why not?
e. Does the number of passes for each tube change? Why or why not?

8. Other Questions that come to mind

 

a. Was h2 ever greater than h1? Explain why or why not?

b What factors would influence the amount of friction experienced by the marble-track system?

c. List other questions that this lab created in your mind.

(For example, is it possible to determine the speed of the marble?)

9. Opinion: (I liked or did not like this lab because .....)

 

10. WOW!! FACTOR - Add to the experiment, add information collected from other sources (Internet, encyclopedias, etc.) and explain the connection to the lab. Be creative.

CREDIT: Adapted from materials presented at a Florida Association of Science Teachers conference (1995) by T. Griffith Jones from P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Also see: Crazy Coasters published by Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories, 777 East Park Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150-6784