Rolling ball experiment

Control experiments help scientists study a system in great detail

Activity 2

Now, let us design a control experiment that will be similar to the bicycle ride on the slope. It will help you to record data with better accuracy. In this experiment, an aluminium or wooden plate will act as the road and a stell ball or a marble will be the bicycle. We call this an "Inclined Plane Experiment".

Material required to perform the experiment: 

1. An aluminum angle of length 160 cm 

2. A marble or a steel ball of diameter 1 inch

3. Stopwatches
 

Setting up the experiment:
 

Place one end side of the aluminium angle at a higher point to give it an inclined slope. If the ball is moving too fast, then it will be difficult to take precise measurements. For this, you need to figure out just the right height for the ball to roll down smoothly from the beginning to end.

Process to do the experiment:

1. Choose any one end of the angle and mark a line across its width at 1 or 2 cm. This is your starting point or zero point at 0 cm mark.

2. Now measure the rest of the angle's length and divide it such that each segment is of length 30 cm. (You will get upto 5 segments).
 

3. Raise one side just enough so that if you place the steel ball on the top end and let it go, it will roll down smoothly till the end.

4. Use stopwatches to record the time it takes to cover each segment.

Note: Please coordinate in your group so that everyone gets a chance to record the time.