Ramp and Car Experiment

Grade level

Grades 3–5

Time

About 45 minutes

Topic

Simple machines and engineering

Answer key

Not needed: answers vary

Kids practice

Simple machines, Engineering design, Forces

What kids do

Printed on the sheet:

1. Question: does a higher ramp make a toy car roll farther? Lean a board on 1, then 2, then 3 books.
2. Let the car go from the top (no pushing) and measure from the end of the ramp to where it stops.
3. My hypothesis: If the ramp is higher, then
4. Graph your best try for each height. First write a scale up the side, like 0, 20, 40, 60 cm.
5. Conclusion: what happened, and which simple machine is a ramp?

Teacher tip

Use the same car and the same starting line each time. Talk about why that matters.

How to use it

• Bring in a ramp, a screw, a wedge and a pulley from the toolbox.
• Let kids test a lever with a ruler and a pencil before they write.
• Let partners compare answers and settle any differences with a book or a video.

Watch for

Kids who judge a design by looks. Ask what the test results showed.

Talk about it

• What would you change to make your design better?
• Where have you seen this outside of school?

Take it further

Hold a class build day with recycled boxes and tape.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.