Inquiry based learning
Investigating how different surface materials effects the speed of a toy vehicle/object travelling down a ramp
Resources – 2 marbles, ramps of a given length, set up to have an equal slope covered with various materials (left over lengths of laminate flooring are great) covered with different materials – (heavy duty plastic, different types of carpet, sand paper, lino, no cover, astroturf etc..)
Introduction – Hold the 2 marbles at the top of one of the ramps and ask the children what will happen when they are let go? Question Why do they think this. Let the marbles go and observe them rolling down the ramp. Do they roll at the same speed?
Investigation – Place a second ramp with a different surface beside the original ramp, hold one marble on the original ramp and one of the second ramp – ask the students what they think will happen when the marbles are let go, will they roll at the same speed, can they justify their answer, let the marbles go observe the results and discuss, repeat this for all surfaces until the fastest/slowest surface is found.
Discussion and conclusion – Discuss the results in groups, why do you think that the marble rolled faster/slower over different materials, introduce the word friction and what it is, can you think of any everyday applications of friction and how it helps us.
Follow up- would the changing the angle of the ramp change the speed
