Essentially Science: Lee County Schools
4th Grade Team
Edwards, Greenwood and Ingram
Soda Can Race
Summary: Using empty soda cans and a charged balloon, the students will race the cans across the floor
demonstrating repellant behavior and friction..
Grade Level(s): 4
Group/Team Size: Teams of 2 or individually
Time Required: Class period of at least 45 minutes for the activity itself.
Mest-Up Factor: 1
Expendable Cost Per Group: $1.00 Bag of balloons (Shape doesn’t matter)
Cost of a soda can (Use the recycle bin in your school)
Educational Standards: 2009 4.P.1.2
Learning Objectives:
 The learners will use this lesson as a closing activity to review the entire unit on electricity.
 Teams will race the cans and measure the distance and time. (See procedure for specifics)
Materials:
Each group will need: One soda can, charged balloon, a ruler, masking tape, a timer.
Classroom or other materials: Clear space on floor or carpet. May test the theory to see if distance is affected by the
friction of the tile floor vs carpet.
Safety: General lab rules of working in groups and small spaces
Background: The students should have a working knowledge of the vocab words charge,repel and friction
Procedure: (Include step by step instruction, referencing student activity sheets when appropriate, as well as test set up
and evaluation methods)
Setup/Preparation Activity
1. Clear the space
2. Allow teams to experiment with the materials to test the best way to have their can move. They can make their
own short track using the masking tape to practice racing in a straight line
3. Set up the class race track using masking tape. This is a simple straight track with sides and a center barrier
4. Select two teams to go.
5. One person may sit behind the can to hold the charged balloon near the can. They may not touch the can. Using
only the charge of the balloon, they must race the can down the track. Set a finish line and time the event. The
can that rolls the furtherest down the line, wins. Have multiple heats. The two teams with the top times may race
for the winner. To add in another math component, set up different lengths of tracks and have the students
measure the distance.
6. To test the theory of how friction affects this activity, set up tracks on the carpet and on the tiile.
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Essentially Science: Lee County Schools
4th Grade Team
Edwards, Greenwood and Ingram
Soda Can Race
Inquiry Questions and Assessment Methods: (What questions do you intend to ask the students about the activity in
order to assess how much they have learned?)
1. First have the students in groups review the vocabulary: positive and negative charges and how this relates to
repel and attract. How does this information relate to our experiment today?
2. What happened if your balloon was not properly charged, or if you touched the balloon or can?
3. How did the type of floor you raced on affect the distance the can rolled?
To individually assess have the students answer these same questions on an index card after the group discussion.
They can use illustrations and labels as well.
Sources: http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/roller.html
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/staticroll.php
http://scienceblock.wordpress.com/experiments/roll-a-can-with-static-electricity/
Additional Resources: http://science-house.org/index.php/physics-from-the-junk-drawer
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