High Road, Low Road

Brief Description

High Road, Low Road is a demonstration of several balls rolling down a ramp. They all start at the same height and end at the same place, and yet because of the different paths inbetween, they do not all get there at the same time. This is a good demo to have after discussing conservation of energy, as many students might expect them to get there at the same time, however conservation of energy only tells us that they will have the same speed when each of them reaches the bottom. It does not tell us how long it will take them to get there.

Materials Needed

1 Ramp with High and Low Roads, 4 Mouse Balls, 1 Wood Stick for releasing, 1 Wood Block for stopper

Setting Up & Performing the Demo

Place 4 mouse balls at the top of the ramp and hold them in place with the wood stick. Place the block at the end of the ramp to stop the balls from rolling away. This can also be done with a container to catch the balls. Ask the class which one they think will reach the bottom first, then release them all at the same time.