Non-constant velocity: A cart on a ramp
In order to make this activity accessible to teachers with a wide variety of teaching styles, this page is designed with minimal instruction. Your teacher may provide you with additional instructions for completing this activity.
In the last activity, we developed a model of velocity of a buggy moving with a constant velocity. But, clearly, there are objects in the world that don’t move at a constant velocity. This activity you will create a model to describe this type of motion.
Introductory video
Your teacher will likely provide you with some instructions/guidance in watching and taking notes on the video below. If you are watching it on your own, be sure to use the frozen frames to make notes, and feel free to pause during these sections if you need more time.
Videos
Below are links to videos. Your teacher may assign you specific videos to analyze.
Using a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer is recommended. The numbers on the track may be too small to read on a phone.
| Videos 1-10 | Videos 11-20 | Videos 21-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Video 11 | ||
| Video 12 | ||
| Video 13 | ||
| Video 4 | Video 14 | |
| Video 5 | Video 15 | |
| Video 6 | Video 16 | |
| Video 7 | Video 17 | |
| Video 8 | Video 18 | |
| Video 9 | Video 19 | |
| Video 10 |
Processing the data
In my class, we use Google Sheets and Desmos to process our data and generate equations for lines that match the trend. Detailed instructions can be found in the video below.
Teacher notes
Teacher notes can be found here. These notes are more about how to present this activity in class, not giving away answers to students (sorry, students, you actually have to do the lab). The password for the page is the word for the study of heat in physics.