For this assignment I did tested the different surfaces affect on marbles. I borrowed a ramp from my brother and used carpet, tile floor and sandpaper as my different surfaces. My results were the same as my prediction. The marble traveled the furtherest on the tile floor because it was slick, less friction than on the carpet which was thick and have more friction with the marbles. I had conducted a similar experiment in the past with cars so the results were the same.
When setting up the experiment, I did not have enough resources which is always a struggle for teachers. At first I only had enough 2 sheets of sandpaper which was not enough for the experiment. We are having work done at my house so I asked the construction workers if they had more paper I could borrow. In general, it always seems that teachers need a lot of different resources and I always get the same confused look when I ask people about different materials!
I was going to try to test the amount of time it took the marbles to travel but then I realized that would not really measure the momentum as much as measuring the distance it traveled. I think I would like to provide students with different materials (such as different ramps) and allow them to see which one would help them provide the best results. I wouldn't like to make this an open inquiry because I am not sure I would know how to supervise one and I would be afraid that a topic such as friction would be too confusing.
It would be fun to have students go to a local park and put different surfaces on slides and have students race each other. For example one student would just slide on the slide regularly and the other would have to slide down a felt slide. Then I would have students compare and explain which student traveled the fastest. I would want students to understand how different objects react with different surfaces and understand real life applications such as driving on a wet surface as opposed to a dry surface and the implications it would have in their everyday lives. I would also like students to be able to use the term friction easily and accurately in their explanations. I think I achieved this goal for myself but I know my students would need more practice to become comfortable using scientific terms.
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI found your post to be similar to mine and like you I needed to find materials to use but luckily I have a huge shed filled with junk that allows me to be creative. Friction is a key to this activity and I like how you related the slick surfaces to driving in a car during wet conditions such as rain. I live in Wisconsin and friction is a huge problem for us in the winter. I like to use the idea of skiing or snowboarding because we have a ski hill here in town and the kids really love to board a lot. I ask them if they have ever taken their boards down the hills with no snow on them and have them explain how boarding would be different in the summer as compared to the winter.
I enjoyed your post and look forward to more,
Thanks,
Mark G.
Hello Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of bringing the kids to a park and letting them test how the surface affects the momentum. Have you thought of assigning that as a homework assignment? It's a great way to get the parents and other family members involved.
-Joanne