Texas Instruments TI-73VSC Teachers Guide - Page 54

49 Activity 9 Only the Height Has Been Changed Measurement ♦ length ♦ mean ♦ collecting data ♦ graphing Students collect data and examine variables that may cause a change in the distance a toy car will travel on the floor when it is rolled down a ramp. Materials ♦ ruler ♦ yardstick, meterstick, or measuring tape ♦ ramp (cardboard or wood) - length should be divisible by 6 ♦ toy car ♦ student activity sheet (provided) ♦ TI-73 ³ Setup ♦ Ask students: Have you ever made a ramp for your bicycle? What angle was the best? If your ramp were straight up, what would happen? If your ramp were lying flat, what would happen? ♦ Tell students that they are going to investigate how the height of a ramp will affect the distance that a toy car will travel when it rolls down the ramp. ♦ Divide the students into groups, with group members having the following responsibilities. • One student will hold a ruler perpendicular to the floor. • One or two students will hold the ramp with one end touching the ruler and the other end on the floor. • One student will release the car from the top of the ramp. • One student will measure the distance the car travels from the end of the ramp on the floor to where the car stops on the floor. © 1998 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED