The Challenge
Have you ever been in a car while it was snowing? Have you ever walked
in the snow or on an icy sidewalk? There are lots of frosty surfaces that
people have to walk or drive on that are slippery, but we need to make
sure these surfaces are safe so that we do not get hurt. This is especially
important on the roads because car accidents are very dangerous.
Your challenge is to design a ramp that cars can travel down without going
too quickly. The goal is to find a surface for the road (or ramp) that will
help drivers to slow down their speed down in frosty (or icy) conditions,
but the surface should still allow drivers to keep driving. In other words, do
not make the surface slow down the cars so much that they cannot move at
all! The key part of this challenge is understanding friction. The amount of
friction the car’s wheels have on the surface controls how fast the car can
go. Find out what material you can use to best fight the frost on your ramp!
The Materials
• One Toy Car
• Two 2x4s
• Hammer & Nails (use with adult supervision)
• One Metal Hinge
• Tin Foil
• Liquid Glue
• Sand
• Styrofoam Peanuts
• Burlap
• Twenty Rubber Bands
• Bubble Wrap
• 100 Thumb Tacks
• Sandpaper
• Felt
• Pantyhose
• Hair Spray
• Vegetable Oil
• Toothpicks
• Yarn
• Textbooks
• Tape Measure
• Protractor
• Stop Watch
The Criteria
Your ramp must be created from the 2x4 boards provided, and it must be
built on a hinge. The hinge is important because it allows you to easily
change the angle of the ramp. Use the hinge to fasten together two 2x4s,
and then adjust the angle of the ramp using different amounts of textbooks
to hold up the board (pictured below).
While building your ramp, make sure to think about
what materials should go on its surface. Also, think
about how the angle of the 2x4s affects the speed of the car traveling down
the ramp. Consider what range of angels is safest for the car to travel down
on the surface you choose.
Additionally, you have a $10 budget for any other materials you want to
purchase for your ramp. You may not spend more than $10. Make sure to
record what you buy if you do buy anything.
The rest is up to you! Make sure to test different surfaces and angles before
deciding on your final ramp. The group that designs the most effective and
creative ramp according to the criteria will receive full points.
Choose the Surface
Attempt: Material: Speed (feet/second):
List Any Additional Materials Purchased:
Material Name: Material Price ($): Total Money Spend ($):
Testing the Angle
Material Used: ___________________________________________________
Angle (°): Speed of Car (feet/second):
Write what range of angles is safest for the car to travel on. Describe why
those angels are safe for the car based on the car’s speed:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
The Rubric
4 3 2 1
Function Ramp functions Ramp functions well, Ramp functions pretty Fatal flaws in function
extraordinarily well, adjusts adjusts at the hinge, and is well, but may have with failure of adjusting
at the hinge, and is secure. secure. Surface could be difficulty adjusting at the (or lack of) hinge.
Surface on the ramp is also better secured. hinge. Surface is not Surface is missing or
secure. secured well to the ramp. falling off of ramp.
Modification/ Clear evidence of Clear evidence of Some evidence of Little to no evidence of
troubleshooting, testing, and troubleshooting, testing, troubleshooting, testing, troubleshooting, testing,
Testing
adjustments based on data or and adjustments. and adjustments. or adjustments.
scientific principles.
Data Data recorded many times in Data recorded at least 4 Data recorded at least Data not recorded
a careful, reliable manner. times per data sheet in a twice per data sheet in a carefully OR recorded
Collection
Data includes appropriate careful, reliable manner. careful, reliable manner. once in a reliable
units. Data includes appropriate Data includes some units. manner. Data does not
units. include units.
Materials Appropriate materials were Appropriate materials were Appropriate materials were Inappropriate materials
selected/bought and selected/bought, and there selected/bought, and they were selected/bought
creatively modified in ways was an attempt at creative did not work well or are and contributed to a
that worked on the surface modification of materials not fitted/secured to the product that performed
of the ramp. to work as the surface of ramp. poorly OR more than
the ramp. $10 was spent on new
materials.
Neatness Great care taken in the Construction was careful Construction followed the Construction appears
construction process so that and accurate for the most criteria accurately, but 3-4 careless or haphazard.
the structure is neat, part, but 1-2 details could details could have been Many details need
attractive, and follows the have been refined for a refined for a more refinement for a strong
criteria accurately. more attractive product. attractive product. or attractive product.
Construction follows the Criteria for the project
criteria accurately. was not met.
Team Work Group members worked Group members worked Group members worked Group members did not
well together, and every well together, but not all well together for the most work well together.
member contributed ideas members put in the same part, but more cooperation Group members did not
and effort in working toward amount of work. could have been shown. share the work OR
a finished product according Also, group members did some members did not
to the criteria. not all put in the same contribute to the final
amount of work. product according to the
criteria.
Grammar/Pun Data sheets had no Data sheets had 1-2 Data sheets had 3-4 Data sheets had 5+
grammar/punctuation errors. grammar/punctuation grammar/punctuation grammar/punctuation
ctuation
Handwriting was neat. errors. Handwriting was errors. Handwriting was errors. Handwriting was
neat. difficult to read at times. illegible.