Motion Lab .
Challenge (Purpose):
Measure and calculate how fast the Hot Wheels car is going while on the orange track.
You will perform 3 different experiments changing only one variable (distance, books,
hills, car, lane, etc) for each experiment. You will have a min of 3 runs per experiment.
MATERIALS
1 Race Track, 2 Hot Wheels Cars, 1 Stopwatch, 2 Meter Sticks, 3 Rulers
DIRECTIONS: (read all directions before starting)
1. Select a car and a lane. The two lanes may or may not be the same. Test them a few
times before you start your experiment and collecting data.
2. Use distance measuring devices and timing devices as needed. You can also change the
track’s position if you like.
3. Make sure not to hurt the track, cars, your partners or yourself when doing this lab.
4. Push cars into the launcher so the spring loads. Push the yellow button to launch.
5. Please make sure not to launch the cars unsafely. If you are an unsafe driver you will be
given the opportunity to learn safely and directly from the book.
6. Please cleanup the last 5 minutes of the period. DO NOT ROLLUP THE TRACK.
7. Now that you have read the directions, complete up to #3 (see below). Once your group
is done with #3 show Mr. Mathot and you can select your cars. B.O.L.
What you will need to do for this experiment
1. Write down the variable you are going to test.
2. A sketch or drawing of your experimental design.
3. A place to place the collected data.
4. Write down your Calculations.
5. Create a graph.
6. Answer the post-lab questions using COMPLETE, thoughtful sentences.
7. Conclusion – Write a 4-6 sentence paragraph that explains what you learned or
discovered from doing the Hot Wheels Motion Lab. You should include qualitative
(characteristics) and quantitative (numbers) information about the experiment.
Explain how the manipulated variable affected the speed of the car.
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Hot Wheels Motion Lab - POST LAB QUESTIONS:
1. List 3 things that caused the car to accelerate? (acceleration is change in velocity)
2. Where was the acceleration of the car the greatest? (Think about what is causing it to
accelerate)
3. Is the speed of the car constant or does it change as it goes down the track? Explain
how you know.
4. Are the velocity and the speed of the car the same in this experiment? Explain your
answer in a complete sentence.
5. What force is causing the car to accelerate down the track? Are there any other forces
acting on the car to cause it to accelerate/decelerate?
6. In the mountains you will sometimes see a sign that says, “Watch Downhill Speed”.
What does this mean in terms of acceleration and the motion we have studied?
7. What 2 things could you do to increase the momentum of the car?
8. List 3 things you could use as a reference point (frame of reference) for this lab?
9. How were the distance traveled and the displacement of the car related and/or different?
10. Did you enjoy this lab? Why or why not?
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