======Ramp Collision Energy Experiment======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Inclined Plane Energy and Momentum
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Gather materials including a yardstick, dowel rods, ball, lightweight cup, tissues, scale, and tape.  
  - Construct a ramp by taping dowel rods to a yardstick to form tracks for the ball.  
  - Prop the yardstick at an angle to create an inclined ramp.  
  - Set up the cup at the bottom of the ramp with rails to keep it moving straight. Place tissues in the cup to absorb impact.  
  - Record the mass of the ball and cup, and measure the ramp height.  
  - Release the ball from the top of the ramp, allowing it to collide with the cup.  
  - Measure how far the cup slides. Repeat three times and calculate the average.  
  - Complete related energy and momentum calculations using provided equations.



====Links==== 
Potential Kinetic Energy Investigation - Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany: 
{{youtube>Hqfg7eDzXt8?}}\\

📄 Energy in Collisions: Rolling Ramp and Review - ncwit.org: [[https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_energy_lesson05_activity2]]\\

====Variations====
  * Use different types of balls (rubber ball, steel ball) to compare results.  
  * Change the ramp angle to study the effect on momentum and distance traveled.  
  * Try using different surface types (smooth table, carpet) to see how friction changes.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Ensure the ramp is stable and secure before releasing the ball.  
  * Keep faces and hands away from the ramp’s end to avoid impact.  
  * Use lightweight cups only; avoid glass or other breakable materials.




====Questions to Consider====
  * What happens to the cup’s motion if the ramp is steeper? (The ball has greater kinetic energy, so the cup moves farther.)  
  * How does friction affect the final distance travelled by the cup? (Greater friction reduces the distance by increasing energy loss.)  
  * Why is work expressed as a negative value when the cup stops? (Because the force of friction is opposite to the direction of motion.)  
  * How does this activity relate to real-world examples like scooters or trains? (Both involve conversion of potential to kinetic energy, momentum transfer, and friction bringing motion to a stop.)