SAFETY

Independent Variable: amount of protection (cotton balls)

Dependent Variable: safety

Problem Questions: What effect does the amount of protection have on the safety of the car?

Hypothesis: If the amount of protection increases, then the safety will also increase because the more protection, the safer the egg will be.

Experimental Groups:

1.  8 cotton balls around the egg

2.  16 cotton balls around the egg

3.  24 cotton balls around the egg

Control:

1.  Placement of the car before it rolls down the ramp

2.  Same type of eggs

3.  Angle of the ramp

MATERIALS LIST:

·  1 meter board with a mark at 9 inches

·  48 cotton balls

·  Stop watch

·  Car

·  Stopping object, 1 meter away from the end of the ramp/meter board

PROCEDURES:

  1. Place your car on the ramp behind the 9-inch mark.
  2. Release the car. As the car hits the stopping object, check if the egg crashed.
  3. Record the safety (+/-) on the data table.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 15 times for all 15 trails.

SPEED

Independent Variable: weight (marbles)

Dependent Variable: speed

Problem Question: What effect does the weight have on the speed of the car?

HYPOTHESIS: If the weight increases, then the speed will also increase, because the heavier the car there is more gravity which will result in the car going faster.

Experimental Groups:

1.  15 marbles

2.  30 marbles

3.  45 marbles

Control:

1.  Placement of the car before it moves down the ramp

2.  Same type of marbles, same size and weight

3.  Angle of the board

MATERIALS LIST:

·  1 meter board with a mark at 9 inches

·  90 marbles

·  Car

·  Stopping object, 1 meter away from the end of the ramp/meter board

PROCEDURES:

1.  Place your car on the ramp behind the 9-inch mark.

2.  Release the car and start the time on the stopwatch. As the car hits the stopping object, stop the time on the stopwatch.

3.  Record the time, in seconds, on the data table.

4.  Repeat steps 1-3 15 times for the 15 trails.

Prototype Data

Trials / Time (seconds) / Speed meter/seconds / Safety (+/-)
1 / 0.9 / 1.11 m/sec / -
2 / 1.2 / 0.83 m/sec / +
3 / 1.1 / 0.91 m/sec / +
4 / 1.0 / 1.0 m/sec / +
5 / 1.0 / 1.0 m/sec / -
6 / 0.9 / 1.11 m/sec / +
7 / 0.9 / 1.11 m/sec / +
8 / 1.2 / 0.83 m/sec / +
9 / 0.9 / 1.11 m/sec / +
10 / 0.7 / 1.43 m/sec / +
11 / 0.6 / 1.66 m/sec / -
12 / 1.0 / 1.0 m/sec / +
13 / 1.3 / 0.78 m/sec / -
14 / 1.2 / 0.83 m/sec / +
15 / 1.0 / 1.0 m/sec / -
Average/ Mode / .99 / 1.04 m/sec / + (mode)