Project Initiation: (HS) the following lab experiences will allow you to collect data which will be critical in designing your
working prototype of the roller coaster.
Materials: a single section of track (foam pipe insulation), marble, stopwatch, meter stick, calculator
PART 1: SPEED
1. Stack 3 science books on the floor. Measure and record the height.
2. Hold one end of your track on top of the books and stretch the track out so that it is as straight as possible. Measure and
record the length of the track.
3. Roll (do not push) the marble down your track. Measure and record the time it took to travel the length of the track.
4. What was the average speed?
5. Repeat the above procedure 3 more times. (record on data table)
 Was your average speed consistent amongst the trials?
 If not, explain
6. Remove the track from the stack of books and elevate it to the height of your chair seat. (measure and record)
7. Repeat steps 2-5
8. Remove the track from the chair and elevate it to the height of your lab table.
9. Repeat steps 2-5
Coaster Track Elevation and speed
Trial
Height
Distance
Time
Speed (show formula and all your work)
GPE & KE Complete the chart. Show all of your work.
trial Mass
Gravity
Height
GPE= mgh
KE= mv2
2
Velocity (speed)
1
2
3
CONCEPT QUESTIONS:
1. How did the height of the track affect the GPE and KE of the marble? How do you know?
2. What is the relationship between GPE and KE?
3. When would you expect GPE to equal KE?
PART 2: CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
Use your understanding of the Law of Conservation of Energy and the diagram to complete this part of the lab.
This diagram shows your marble at 3 different points on the track at your final elevation
A
from in part 1 (the lab table top). Complete the graph below to show the energy levels
at each point on the track. We are including GPE, KE, SE (sound) and TE (thermal).
B
C
C
B
A
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
0
0
0
CONCEPT QUESTIONS:
1. How does your marble rolling down the track demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Energy?
2.
You may have discovered that sometimes not all of your GPE is converted to KE. What happens to that
“missing” energy?
PART 3: Velocity & Acceleration
Using your data from PART 1 complete the following data tables.
Trail
Displacement
time
Velocity
d
1 at height 1
1 at height 2
1 at height 3
Trail
Initial velocity
(at top of hill)
Final velocity
(avg. speed)
Time
Acceleration (write formula and show all work)
1 at height
1
1 at height
2
1 at height
3
Lay your track level on the floor (no elevation), and create one curve. Push the marble so that it moves through the
curve in the track. If the marble was capable of maintaining a constant velocity throughout its journey, where would
it accelerate? Explain your answer.
CONCEPT QUESTION: Describe 3 different ways that your marble can accelerate.