Name: _______________________________________________ Date:

Cohort: ______________________________

~Lab: Changing Ramp Heights~

OBJECTIVE:
Determine the relationship between the height of a ramp and the energy of a ball rolling down
the ramp

PROCEDURE:
- Step 1: Set up the ramp as pictured using two books and the grooved ruler, by placing the ruler
on the edge of the books.
- Step 2: Place the ball at the top of the grooved ruler with your finger on top of it.
- Step 3: Release the ball about 2 cm from the top of the books by lifting your finger upward.
- Step 4: Observe the ball rolling down the ramp. Note any observations on your sheet.
- Step 5: When the ball stops rolling, use the mat provided to measure the distance that the cup
was moved by the ball. Be sure to measure from the front of the cup!
- Step 6: Record the distance in the data chart.
- Step 7: Conduct 4 more trials for this height. Find the average of all 5 trials to the nearest
whole number and record it in the data table.
- Step 8: Set up the ramp with another height stacking 5 books and by placing the ruler on the
edge of the book.
- Step 9 Repeat steps 2-6 five times using the second ramp.
- Step 10: Set up the ramp with a third height by stacking 8 books and by placing the ruler on
the edge of the books.
- Step11: Repeat steps 2-6 five times using the third ramp.

1. Write your hypothesis (prediction). Your hypothesis should take the form I believe.
because
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________

2. Record your measurements on the data table below

Number Observatio Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Average

of Books ns
(or
blocks)

2 books
5 books

8 books

2. Write 2-3 sentences explaining the effect of ramp height on the average distance the cup
moved. Be sure to identify your independent & dependent variables
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________

3. In terms of kinetic and potential energy explain why changing the height of the ramp
produced different results
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__________

4. Was your data exactly the same for all the trails when 8 books were used?
________________

Explain what might have caused this

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________

5. Why does a scientist use more than one trial when conducting an experiment?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__________

6. Create a graph of your data in the space below