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Meteorites: The Relationship of Kinetic Energy to Mass
(continued)
Background Information, Activity Setup:
• Create a data table with 4 columns.
• Column #1: "Height Dropped" ~ (rows): 140 cm, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, & 200 cm.
• Column #2: "Marble #1 (mass ___ g)"
• Column #3: "Marble #2 (mass ___ g)"
• Column #4: "Marble #3 (mass ___ g)"
• Data table can be created on Google Sheets for data comparison across groups, classes, & whole grade.
• Students will be dropping each marble from successively larger heights thereby increasing the kinetic energy (KE) each time.
• Dropping the marble(s) will leave an "impact crater" in the flour. Measuring the diameter of the crater (with the marble still in
the hole!) will give a quantitative indication of the relationship of KE/kinetic energy to the mass of an object.
• Core to Advanced Students: As it is difficult to have the same diameter of the marbles/ spheres dropped, students can
calculate the percent increase of the diameter of the marble itself to the larger, diameter of the impact crater!
Step-by-Step Procedure:
1. Mass/weigh the 3 different marbles types.
2. Fill each group's high, solid-walled containers with 1 inch of flour. More flour may be added to ensure that the marbles do not
hit the bottom of the container when dropped from various heights (test out the heaviest marble from 200 cm to ensure that
the 1" depth is suitable).
3. Take marble #1 and drop it from a height of 140 cm using the two metersticks. The marble should land into the flour basin.
4. Use the ruler to measure the diameter of the "impact crater" (measure with the marble still inside the crater!). Measure to the
nearest millimeter. Record the "impact crater" diameter in the data table.
5. Repeat dropping marble #1 from the predetermined heights: 140 cm, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, & 200 cm. Log the "impact
crater" diameter each drop.
6. Repeat the process for Marble #2 and Marble #3.
7. Each group will then graph their data.
a) On the X-axis (independent variable): label the 7 different heights.
b) On the Y-axis (dependent variable): label the diameter of the "impact crater."
c) Color-code the marbles on the graph and create a key below the graph.
8. Discuss your findings!
Expected Results:
More mass/ weight dropped from same heights will incur more kinetic energy (KE) as measured by the larger diameter of the
"impact crater."
Teaching Notes:
• Student groups who calculate the percent increase from the original diameter of the marble/sphere to the diameter of the
"impact crater" may need prelab modeling and practice.
• Student leaders to hand out supplies and supervise clean up are helpful!
