Ramp It Up Lab Questions Answer Key
1. Initially, does each marble/ball possess the same amount of gravitational
potential energy? Explain.
Answer: No. Gravitational potential energy depends on mass, acceleration
due to gravity, and height. Even though the acceleration due to gravity and
height are the same for all of the balls/marble, the masses are not. The larger
the mass, the greater the gravitational potential energy
2. Does each marble/ball possess the same amount of gravitational potential
energy at the bottom of the ramp? Explain.
Answer: If the bottom of the ramp is taken to be the reference point, the
heights of all of the ball/marble is taken to be zero. Since gravitational
potential energy equals mass x acceleration due to gravity x height, the
gravitational potential energy of any of the balls would zero.
3. What can be done to increase the gravitational potential energy of a given
marble/ball?
Answer: Either use a larger ball/marble (more mass) or increase the height
of the ramp
4. Initially, does each marble/ball possess the same amount of kinetic energy?
Explain.
Answer: Yes, since they are not initially moving, they all have no kinetic
energy.
5. Does each marble/ball possess the same amount of kinetic energy at the
bottom of the ramp? Explain.
Answer: No. The amount of kinetic energy each marble/ball will have at
the bottom of the ramp is directly related to the amount of gravitational
potential energy it had at the top of the ramp. Since, each marble/ball begins
with a different amount of gravitational potential energy, each should finish
with a different amount of kinetic energy.
6. Describe the energy changes that occur as the marble/ball rolls down the
ruler.
Answer: Initially, each marble/ball possesses only gravitational potential
energy. As it rolls down the ramp and gains speed but loses height,
gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. Some of the
gravitational potential energy is likely transformed into heat because of
friction as well as sound.
7. Does the Law of Conservation of Energy hold true in this investigation?
Explain. Use data from your experiment to support your position.
Answers will vary as will data. The total energy at the bottom of the ramp
will likely be slightly less than the total energy at the top of the ramp.
However, this potentially can be accounted for as a conversion to heat and
sound.
8. What is momentum? How does it relate to kinetic energy?
Answer: Momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity. Like
kinetic energy, it depends on mass and velocity. However, kinetic energy is
calculated by multiplying 0.5 by mass by velocity squared.
9. Is the marble/ball traveling at the same speed when it strikes the container as
it is when it reaches the end of the ruler? Explain.
Answer: It depends on whether you consider the smooth table or floor to
have enough friction to slow it down. If you neglect friction, the speed will
not change but if you include friction, it will be slower.
10.What happens to the marble/ball when it strikes the storage container?
Why?
Answer: It bounces off the container because the container exerts a force on
the marble/ball equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force the
ball exerts on the container.
11.After the collision between the marble/ball and storage container, do both
items move at the same rate? Explain.
Answer: No, because even though the forces are equal, they are being
exerted on different masses. The larger mass will accelerate less.
12.Does the Law of Conservation of Momentum hold true in this investigation?
Explain. Use data from your experiment to support your position.
Answers will vary as will data. The velocity of the container after the
collision is difficult to determine accurately due to the friction acting on it.
Therefore, it is unlikely students will see conserved momentum.