Energy and Collisions Activity Notes

Energy and Collisions Activity 5

Overview

• The activity focuses on measuring the speed and kinetic energy of an object (toy truck) as it moves down a cardboard tube inclined at various angles.

• Purpose: To explore the relationship between speed and kinetic energy based on the incline angles of the tube.

Materials Required

• Toy truck

• Metric ruler

• Cardboard paper towel tube

• Stopwatch

• Paper cup

• Scissors

• Books (to adjust the incline)

Part (1): Relation Between Speed and Angle of Inclination

1. Setup:

   • Position one end of the cardboard tube on top of two books.

   • The other end of the tube should rest on the ground.

2. Data Recording:

   • Create a table with the following columns:

     • Number of Books: Record the number of books used to elevate one end of the tube.

     • Time to Travel: Measure and record the time taken for the toy truck to travel from one end of the tube to the other using a stopwatch.

3. Procedure:

   • Roll the toy truck down the inclined tube.

   • Use the stopwatch to determine the time it takes for the truck to reach the end of the tube and record this in the "Time to Travel" column of your table.

   • After recording the data for two books, add one more book to increase the incline angle (total of three books) and repeat the procedure.

   • Continue this step by adding another book (total of four books) and repeating the steps again.

4. Analysis:

   • Note that as the Time of Travel decreases (meaning the truck travels faster), the speed of the toy truck increases.

   • This establishes the relationship that a steeper incline results in a higher speed for the moving object.