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© 1998 T
EXAS
I
NSTRUMENTS
I
NCORPORATED
Activity 9
Only the Height
Has Been Changed
Students collect data and examine variables that may
cause a change in the distance a toy car will travel on
the floor when it is rolled down a ramp.
Measurement
♦
length
♦
mean
♦
collecting data
♦
graphing
Materials
♦
ruler
♦
yardstick, meterstick, or measuring
tape
♦
ramp (cardboard or wood) - length
should be divisible by 6
♦
toy car
♦
student activity sheet (provided)
♦
TI-73
³
Setup
♦ Ask students:
Have you ever made a ramp for your bicycle?
What angle was the best?
If your ramp were straight up, what would happen?
If your ramp were lying flat, what would happen?
♦ Tell students that they are going to investigate how the
height of a ramp will affect the distance that a toy car
will travel when it rolls down the ramp.
♦ Divide the students into groups, with group members
having the following responsibilities.
• One student will hold a ruler perpendicular to the
floor.
• One or two students will hold the ramp with one
end touching the ruler and the other end on the
floor.
• One student will release the car from the top of the
ramp.
• One student will measure the distance the car
travels from the end of the ramp on the floor to
where the car stops on the floor.