The Big U
Drop a ball on a track and watch what happens. Try launching two balls on different tracks. Try two balls on the same track but in opposite directions. What other experiments can you try?
What’s Happening?
A ball released on one side of the track does not make it up the same distance on the other side of the track. The ball slows down (or loses energy) due to friction. Each time the ball rolls back and forth, it loses more and more energy until it eventually stops.
The Ski Jump
Launch a ball off any section of the ramp. Try the same section of the other ramp. Which ramp makes the ball fly farther?
What’s Happening?
The “ski jump” style track with an upward sloping angle at the end allows the ball to travel further. Launching an object at an angle that is halfway between the vertical and the horizontal allows it to travel the farthest.
Loop d’ Loop
Send a ball on an upside down ride! Try both size loops and watch what happens. Try starting your launch on different colored sections of track to see if you can get the ball into the cup of the same color.
What’s Happening?
To get around the big loop, the ball must have the maximum speed (or velocity) that the length of the track can give it.
The Big Spiral
Have you ever seen a dizzy golf ball?
What’s Happening?
The ball moves faster and faster as it rolls down the track that circles the tube. As its speed increases, the time it takes the ball to complete each circle becomes shorter and shorter. When an object moves with increasing speed like this it is said to have acceleration.
Roller Coaster
Roll a ball from the top of the track and see how it travels over hills and through valleys. What determines if it makes it to the end of the roller coaster?
What’s Happening?
The higher you start the ball on the Roller Coaster track, the better chance it has making it over the first hill. The higher the ball’s starting point, the greater the energy it has at the bottom. On top of each hill, the amount of energy the ball has is called potential energy.
Hit the Bucket
Press the button to start the activity. Time your ball launch perfectly to allow the ball to fall in a rotating cup. It takes a little practice!
What’s Happening?
One way to “hit the bucket” is to count how long it takes for the rotating can to turn into the correct position from another point. By releasing the ball so that it rolls down the track in the same amount of time, you can hit your target. Sometimes, circular motion or motion around a point is described as RPMs – revolutions per minute. How many RPMs do the cans make?
On Track
You’ll need a steady hand to keep the ball rolling on this track. Carefully pull the rails apart to keep the ball moving from start to finish... without falling off.
What’s Happening?
How can a ball roll up hill? Whey you separate the rails the ball actually starts falling down the inside curve of the rail, which causes the ball to spin. By controlling this motion by pulling the rails gradually closer together, the ball gains momentum and rolls. Momentum is the energy an object has when it is moving. If the ball gains enough momentum and you have pulled the rails back together just enough, the ball will roll all the way uphill to the finish line.
Musical Golf Balls
Have you ever made music with golf balls? Ping, bing, clang..... clop, bop, tock
What’s Happening?
As the ball falls down the track, it hits the objects – simple metal plates, pipes, bells and wooden blocks with enough force to vibrate them, making tones. A few balls falling down the track together will make
music.
Tinker Track
Create as many different tracks as you can. Use the pegs to stop or change the path of the balls.
What’s Happening?
When you start a ball rolling in one direction, it will keep rolling it that direction until something makes it stop or change directions! This is Newton’s first law of motion. Find the places on your track where the ball stops rolling or changes directions. What makes that happen?
Giant Skill Maze NEW!
Slow down to tune up your eye-hand coordination by skillfully tilting the table-sized maze to ease the ball past dead ends and noisy hazards. Can you fine tune gravity’s pull to move the ball through the maze without making a sound?
What’s Happening?
Every tilt of the board changes the angle of the ball’s rolling surface and so, changes the direction of gravitational pull on the ball.