Name:_______________________________

Date:______________________________

Racing Toy Cars

Measuring and analyzing velocity and motion of toy cars
Goal:
Students will experiment with their choice of toy car and analyze
and observe its velocity and motion while testing the reliability of
their experiment.
Objectives:
Given either a hot wheel car, wind up car or remote control
car they will measure, calculate and record its velocity.
Given a yard/meter stick students will construct a specified
length of distance, known as the race track and accurately
create 5 equidistant meter positions.
Given the experiment, students analyze data and discuss the
difficulties during the experiment as well as any
modifications that could make the experiment more reliable.
Given Student will also graph their result and be able to
describe the behavior of the results as well as make
conjectures.
Materials:
Hot wheel, wind-up toy or remote control car
Double sided tape
Yard/Meter stick
String
Scissors
Stop watch
Experiment Directions:
1. In a group of 5 students each, construct a 5 meter long track
by measuring out 5 meters with a string.

2. Use string to lay down a strip of tape known as the race

track
3. In increments of 1 meter, make visible marks labeled A, B, C,
D, & E.
4. Have one student control the car, the other four posted at
check points B, C, D, & E with stop watches.
5. As the student at position A releases the car, students at the
other positions start their stopwatches and stop their stop
watches when the car intersects their lettered position.
6. Each student must record their individual data for three
separate trials.
7. The student must combine data and fill in charts given.
8. Velocity must be calculated as V=d/t
9. Plot data points and create graph of data
10.
Examine how each trial graph is either similar or
different from the others.

TRIAL 1
POSITIO
N

Distance(Meters
)

Time
(seconds
)

Velocit
y (d/t)

A
B
C
D
E
TOTAL

Avg:

TRIAL 1

POSITIO
N

Distance(Mete
rs)

Time
(second
s)

Velocit
y (d/t)

A
B
C
D
E
TOTAL

Avg:
TRIAL 1

POSITIO
N

Distance(Met
ers)

Time
(second
s)

Veloci
ty
(d/t)

A
B
C
D
E
TOTAL

Avg:

Follow up Questions:
1. Construct a graph to show your results. Be sure to label each
graph!
2. Do your graphs represent a constant speed or an average
speed?

3. Are your results reliable? Explain. (Recall: : yielding the

same or compatible results in different
clinical experiments or statistical trials)