Ramp Racers
Word of the day: ramp
“Can we make a car go super far without pushing it at all?”
Grab
- a board, baking sheet or big book (the ramp)
- pillows or books to prop it
- two or three toy cars
- painter's tape or a sock to mark where they stop
Do
- Prop the ramp on one book. Let a car go from the top. Mark where it stops.
- Add a second book so the ramp is steeper. Guess first: will it go farther or shorter? Try it.
- Try three books. Then try letting go from halfway down instead of the top.
- Race two cars side by side.
The big moment
Three books high. Clear a runway first.
Ask (guess first, then try)
- Steeper ramp, farther or shorter?
- Did starting higher make it go faster?
What's going on (for you)
A ramp is a simple machine too. A car at the top of a high ramp has stored-up energy from being high; rolling down turns it into speed. Higher start, more speed, farther roll. Movers use ramps for the opposite reason: pushing up a gentle ramp takes less force than lifting straight up.
If they want more
Try the ramp on carpet vs the kitchen floor at the bottom. Save that idea for the friction day.