Marble Lab
You can measure how far a moving object travels. You can also measure the time required
for an object to travel a certain distance. With the measurements of distance and time,
you can determine the average speed of an object by using the following formula:
Average speed = distance / time
Materials
Ruler
Marble
Stopwatch
Meter stick
Procedure
1. Arrange the ruler as a ramp as demonstrated by your teacher. You will measure the
motion of the marble when it is traveling on the level surface. You will release the marble
from the same point on the ramp each time.
2. Measure the first ramp height in centimeters. Release the marble. When the marble
reaches the table, start your stopwatch. When you marble reaches the end of the meter
stick, stop your stopwatch. Record your observations and calculations in the data table.
Make three trials for this ramp height and average them to get the average time.
3.Repeat step 2 using two different ramp heights. Record your observations and
calculations in the Data table.
Data Table (Make sure to label all of your units)
Ramp Height
(cm)
Distance
Traveled
Time Average
time of all trials
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Show all of your work here:
Average time of
all trials
Average Speed
Questions
1. What is the relationship of the average speed to the height of the ramp?
2. Would you find about the same average speed if you measured only 50 cm or if you
measured 200 cm? Explain your answer in detail.
3. Did you get the exact time each time you dropped the marble for a given ramp height?
Explain why or why not.
4. Would you get the same speed of the marble if you dropped a larger sized marble? Try
it and see if you get the same results.
5. What is a reference point? What was reference point used in this lab?
6. Do you think the marble is traveling at a constant speed during this lab? Explain your
answer.