Ball Launcher

How reproducible is the motion of a ball?

Materials

The ball launcher

 

 Find a large area of smooth level uncarpeted floor -- perhaps the hallway -- and set up the ball launcher shown in the diagram: a track section on a board, propped up on a wood block to make a ramp. The lower end of the track extends beyond the board, so that it reaches the floor. Aim the ball launcher down the hall. Lightly tape the parts together, so that the arrangement doesn't accidentally change.

Now launch the ball by releasing it from a particular place on the ramp, and notice what direction it goes and what path it takes. Place a marker 5 meters (15 feet) from the launcher, that shows where the ball went.

How consistently does the ball travel when you release it repeatedly without changing your launching system?

Move the ramp to one side a little, and predict where the ball will now go, by placing a tape marker. Then test your prediction.

write in your journal How does a rolling ball move? Give a one sentence description.

Check the box when you are done:   

Steering the ball