Shoot for your Grade

Ritini Mahuru

Physics Honors
Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science
October 7, 2014

Abstract: Given a ramp and first starting with a racecar and later a marble, where its determined
the time the object falls from the ramp before falling on the ground. The objective of this
experiment is predicting the landing spot of the bulls-eye, starting from the position of the
marble where it will be dropped. After many trials and math, the final results ended where the
marble perfectly falls right in the middle of the bulls-eye, where we earned a 50.

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I.

INTRODUCTION:
This experiment was given to all students who are taking both Physics and Physics
Honors. The name of the experiment is Shoot for your Grade the objective of this
experiment is to predict how to get the object that will be dropped and launched from a
ramp on a surface onto the final destination, the bulls-eye, where your grade will reflect
off from where your object lands on the bulls-eye.

II.

THEORY:
The theory of this experiment can happen; the object can fall right in the middle of the
bulls-eye, where the students will earn full points. It is not easy though, using the right
numbers and mathematics where you will get the final destination, is the hard part of this
experiment. It determines on how much you know what numbers and equations youre
using to get your final destination.

III.

EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS:
Students worked in groups where they will collect one of many various different sizes of
ramps, including a racecar, bouncy ball, or marble of their choice, a stopwatch, and a
meter stick. Students are to work in their groups to time from 10cm of the ramp of where
their object will fall from. Taking 10 trials of the times, theyre to find the average time
and find the final destination, using the equations that they were given. After finding the
final destination, they will measure with a meter stick on the ground and position the
bulls-eye where there spot was marked at. The ending result of where the object has fell
on the bulls-eye will determine the groups final grade.

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IV.

RESULTS:
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V.

We started with a racecar and the racecar wasnt working very well for what we
wanted as our final destination.
We used a golf ball, where it had the same effect as the racecar.
Lastly, we used the marble, where we had finally gotten an easier answer for our final
destination.

DISCUSSION:
After using the racecar and golf ball making it very difficult for my group to work with, it
was suggested that we should use a marble, and change the position of our ramp
differently.
After making adjustments, we started another table where we randomly marked the
starting point of where the marble will be dropped. I recorded the time from when the
marble hits the mark of 20cm to the end of the ramp.
After finding our time average, which was .843, we did the math, and finally found the
answer that was very close to what we wanted for the final destination. The final
destination was .151m

VI.

CONCLUSION:
My prediction from the beginning was in the middle. I wasnt sure if my team will get
full points or not. Our final answer and result were perfect. The marble was perfect for us
to find the answer. It was better than using our other failed attempts. We were able to get
our marble to hit right in the middle, earning full points for out grades.