PART A: Investigating the effect of launch angle
on the range of a projectile
PART B: Application – Hit that mark!
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Lesson Objective:
We will observe, using measurements, how
launching marbles at different angles affect
the distance the marble travels.
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I will share with the class
our interpretation of the
results of our data.
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RESEARCH QUESTION
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Research Question:
How does launching marbles at different
angles affect the distance the marble
travels?
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Research Question:
How does launching marbles at different
angles affect the distance the marble
travels?
Check for understanding:
*the distance that the marble travels is
also called (trajectory, range, hang time)
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1. RESEARCH QUESTION
2. HYPOTHESIS
3. EXPERIMENT
A. MATERIALS
B. PROCEDURE
4. DATA GATHERING
5. ANALYSIS
6.CONCLUSION
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Hypothesis:
• In the form of an If-then statement.
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1. RESEARCH QUESTION
2. HYPOTHESIS
3. EXPERIMENT
A. MATERIALS
B. PROCEDURE
4. DATA GATHERING
5. ANALYSIS
6.CONCLUSION
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Materials:
 Marble launcher
 Plastic marble
 Tape
 Meter stick
 Graph Paper
 Ruler
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Safety Notes:
 Never launch marbles at people
 Launch only the black or blue plastic
marble that comes with the marble
launcher
 Always use safety goggles
 No horse playing
 Do not perform unauthorize experiment
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Procedure:
1: Identify the following
parts of the marble
launcher; angle
adjustment knob, launch
lever, barrel, angle scale.
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2: Assign jobs for each person in your group
 Launcher
 Spotter
 Measurer
 Chaser
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Group
No.
Launcher
Spotter
Measurer
Chaser
1
Gilbert
Noah
Amri
Haylie
2
Cody
Enrique/Aali Jesus
Alex
yah
3
Jacobo
David
Eliam
Jubilee
4
Dominic
Jeremiah
Diego
Isaiah
5
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3: Find the assigned station for your group
outside. Set the front of the marble
launcher at the edge of the tape.
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4: Set the angle of the marble
launcher to 10°.
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5: For this experiment, you will use
the first slot of the barrel to launch
the marble for each trial. Pull the
launch lever back and slip it
sideways into the first slot.
Put a marble in the end of the
barrel. The marble launcher is
ready to launch.
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6: Call out, “ready” to let your group
know you are ready to launch. If it is clear,
launch the marble.
 Spotter be ready to mark where the
marble lands. Chaser be ready to follow the
marble so it does not get lost. Measurer be
ready to measure the range.
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7:Measure how far the marble
traveled and record the distance in
the data table.
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8: Repeat the launch, measure, and
record the data.
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9: Increase the angle by 5º and make
two launches at each angle until you
reach 75º, then stop.
Be sure to record after each launch.
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1. RESEARCH QUESTION
2. HYPOTHESIS
3. EXPERIMENT
A. MATERIALS
B. PROCEDURE
4. DATA GATHERING
5. ANALYSIS
6.CONCLUSION
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Launch
angle
Trial 1
Trial 2
Average Launch
angle
10º
45º
15º
50º
20º
55º
25º
60º
30º
65º
35º
70º
40º
75º
Trial 1
Trial 2
Average
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1. RESEARCH QUESTION
2. HYPOTHESIS
3. EXPERIMENT
A. MATERIALS
B. PROCEDURE
4. DATA GATHERING
5. ANALYSIS
6.CONCLUSION
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Graph:
You are going to graph the
average distance traveled by the
marbles, at the angles launched.
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QUESTIONS:
1. What is the experimental variable in this experiment?
2. What are the controlled variables?
3. If you want to launch a marble 4 meters, which angle would
you use on the marble launcher?
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4)Besides the launch angle, which other variables
can you change on the marble launcher?
5)How does changing the angle affect the
distance the marble travels?
6)Write a hypothesis for one of the other variables
you listed in #4.
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