The purpose of this activity is to investigate the relationship
between the speed of a toy car just prior to hitting a box and the
distance that the car and the box slide before stopping.
In the simulation, a toy car will be released from the top of an
inclined plane from a given height. It will accelerate to the floor
where its speed will be measured. The car will then collide with a
small box. The box and the car will slide across the floor to a final
stopping position.
The initial height of the car can be modified. The speed of the car
prior to striking the box will be reported. The sliding distance of the
car can be measured.
Begin Activity
A Science Reasoning Activity
Stopping Distance
50 cm
20 cm
60 cm
30 cm
Click on one of the heights below to run a trial with that
starting height. Heights can easily be modified in order to attain
different car speeds at the bottom of the hill.
70 cm
40 cm
10 cm
80 cm
Initial Height (cm):
Click the Release button to release the toy car from the current
height along the track. Use the navigation buttons at the bottom to
modify the height.
AAA
Speed (m/s)
60 m
70 m
Release
10 m
Click on a height below to navigate to a trial with a different
height.
A
80 m
50 m
B
The speed at A is reported below. The distance the box and car
skid from A to B can be measured. Use the Repeat button to play the
animation again.
Repeat
40 m
30 m
KEY
20 m
10.0
1.21
20.0
1.71
2.10
30.0
2.42
40.0
50.0
2.71
60.0
2.97
3.21
70.0
3.43
80.0