Rubber Band Lab
NAME:________________________
Procedure
1. Measure the length of your rubber band in centimeters. Write the length here:_____
2. Put the first dot in the middle of your rubber band.
3. Place a second dot one centimeter to the right of that dot.
4. Put a third dot four centimeters to the left of the first dot.
5. Fill in the chart below by stretching the rubber band the longer by the number of centimeters
listed on the left. While the rubber band is stretched record the distance between the middle
dot and the dot on the left, and the middle dot and the dot on the right.
Dist. Rubber Band Stretched
No stretching
2 cm longer than original
4 cm longer than original
6 cm longer than original
8 cm longer than original
10 cm longer than original
15 cm longer than original
20 cm longer than original
25 cm longer than original
30 cm longer than original
DO NOT BREAK MY
RUBBER BANDS, PLEASE.
What is the longest you can
reasonably stretch it?
____ cm longer than original
Distance Left to Middle Dots
4.0 cm
Distance Middle to Right Dots
1.0 cm
6. Graph your results on two separate graphs. Both graphs have the same X and Y axises (or
“axes” if you prefer).
7. Did the distance change faster between the middle dot and the right dot, or the middle dot and
the left dot?
8. If you had measured the distance between the left and the right dot, how fast do you think that
distance would increase compared to the measurements you made?
9. Suppose that the right and left dots were galaxies, and the middle dot was Earth. How does
the distance between the galaxies and the Earth relate to the rate at which they are moving
apart?