A couple of weeks ago I conducted an experiment about how different surfaces affect the momentum of marbles. I used one marble and tested the marble on three different surfaces: concrete, hardwood, and carpet. To make it fair between surfaces, I created a ramp for the marble to travel down before coming in contact with the surfaces.I made my ramp out of a textbook and Popsicle sticks
The results of my experiment were that the marble had the most momentum on the hardwood and the least momentum on the carpet. An explanation of my results would be that the hardwood floor created the least amount of friction, which allowed the marble to travel farther and at a greater speed. The carpet has more hills and valleys in it which increased the amount of friction. The concrete also had a rougher surface. The results I received were what I expected.
I encountered some challenges during my experiment. One of the challenges I faced during this experiment was keeping the marble rolling in a line down the ramp. I decided to use Popsicle sticks to help keep the marble down a straight path. Another challenge I faced was measuring the distance the marbles rolled. At school I have access to yards sticks, but at home only a couple of 12 inch rulers.
I would like to use this activity in the classroom next year. To make the lesson more interesting for my students I would use toy cars and allow them to make their own ramps. I would also let them test the experiment on the surfaces we have at school and their homes. This allows parents to get involved in their child's learning.
The purpose of the lab is to introduce students to momentum. I would like students to understand that different surfaces do affect the momentum of objects and be able to apply what they learned to their lives. As an assessment I would have students explain how they could apply their knowledge to their lives to help them in a situation.
I really like the creativity you demonstrated for this inquiry activity. You didn't have the right materials, maybe not the most perfect situation, but science can be done anywhere with anything. I also think that this would be a great lab for the 6th graders in my classroom when we are studying all about friction and momentum. I like your idea about having students complete part of their lab tests at home, perhaps begin with some materials in the classroom and then think of other materials they could test at home. I also like the real world application at the end of the lesson. Thanks so much for sharing these great ideas.
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