Speed Slide

• Databot

• IOS/Android Smart Device

Speed Slide

What You Will Need/Prep

• Test your databot™ connection.

• You will be prompted to select
  and connect to databot™ each
  time you launch an experiment.

• If there are two or more
  databot™'s listed, the one
  closest to your device will be
  highlighted.

• Install Vizeey™ on your
  Smart device.

• Study the background
  information and terms and
  prepare to explore!

Grades: Middle School

Time: 45 Minutes

Subject: Physical Science

Topics: Position, Speed, and
Acceleration

Overview

Background

Have you ever wondered how things move? Why
do they speed up or slow down, and how can we
describe their motion? In this lab, we’re going to
investigate motion using a ramp, a toy car, and
databot. You’ll learn how to measure an object’s
position and speed over time and analyze what
happens as it moves. Let’s discover the science
behind motion and how we can use data to
understand it better!

Motion is everywhere, from cars driving down the
street to a ball rolling down a hill. To describe motion,
we need a reference point—a fixed position to
compare where something starts and where it moves.
Speed tells us how quickly something changes its
position, calculated by dividing the distance traveled
by the time it takes.

When an object moves down an inclined ramp, gravity
pulls it downward, increasing its speed. At the same
time, factors like friction and the ramp’s incline angle
affect how fast the object moves. Using tools like a
databot’s distance sensor and accelerometer, we can
measure and analyze these changes in motion.

In this lab, you’ll observe how the position of a toy car
changes over time as it rolls down a ramp. By
collecting data on distance and time, you’ll calculate
the car’s speed and understand how its motion is
influenced by forces acting on it. This hands-on
activity will help you connect abstract concepts like
motion and speed to real-world observations.

• Ramp and toy car or similar
  rolling object

• Measuring tape

• Stopwatch or timer

• Graph paper or data graphing
  app

Investigations

Physical Science

Accelerometer

Proximity

Learning Objectives

By completing this lab, students will:

• Understand how to describe an object’s position using a reference point.

• Measure and record time and distance data for a moving object.

• Analyze how an object’s speed changes over time as it moves down an inclined ramp.

• Predict and test hypotheses about the motion of an object, including changes in speed
  and distance.

• Use tools such as a databot and graphing methods to collect, visualize, and interpret
  motion data.

• Connect the concepts of speed, position, and motion to forces like gravity and friction.

Position: The location of an object relative to a reference point.

Reference Point: A fixed place or object used to determine if something is in motion.

Motion: The change in position of an object over time.

Distance: The total length an object travels, measured in units like meters or centimeters.

Speed: How fast an object moves, calculated using the formula:

Speed=Distance x speed=timedistance​.

Time: The duration of an event, measured in seconds, minutes, or hours.

Gravity: The force that pulls objects toward the Earth, causing them to accelerate downhill.

Friction: A force that opposes motion, often slowing objects down.

Data Analysis: The process of examining and interpreting collected data to identify patterns
or relationships.

Accelerometer: A sensor that measures changes in velocity or motion.

Proximity sensor or TOF: A tool used to measure how far an object is from a specific point.

Inclined Plane (Ramp): A sloped surface that allows objects to move from a higher position
to a lower position, demonstrating the effects of gravity and motion.

Press this button to start

the experiment.

In order to work with the experiment you need to launch the Vizeey application and click on
+ in the upper right corner.

Then select “Add experiment from QR code” and scan the QR code prepared for this
experiment. Your experiment will appear in the list.

When you start the experiment you will be immediately
offered to connect to your databot. Make sure that databot
is enabled.

• databot cart acceleration graph

• Current acceleration

• Current acceleration

• Graph showing the
  distance of the cart
  from the start

In this lab you will explore motion using two
sensors: accelerometer and proximity. You
are able to observe:

• What do you expect will happen to the car’s speed as it moves down the ramp?

• Will the car travel the same distance each second, or will this distance change?

Predict how the distance traveled by the toy car will change as it moves down the ramp
over time.

Part 2: Hypothesis

Part 3: Experiment Procedure

Starting Position

1. Attach databot to a car or a moving platform, ensuring it faces the starting direction.

2. Set up a track for the car to follow.

3. To ensure optimal reflection for the proximity (TOF) sensor, use a flat, reflective surface
at the top of the ramp, positioned perpendicular to the databot or vehicle.

4. Turn on databot

• Open the Vizeey app on your smart device.

• Turn on databot (using the small button on the left side)

• Tap on "Speed Slide" in Vizeey to load the experiment.

• You will be prompted to connect to databot.

  • Hint- if there is more than one databot in use, the one closest to you will be in blue!

  • A solid blue light on databot means you are connected.

• Start your experiment using:

  • Use these icons at the top of the screen in Vizeey to start and to pause the
    experiment.

  • Now, start the experiment and release the databot or vehicle. The databot will move
    down the track, measuring both its acceleration and the distance traveled from the
    starting point.

Distance measurements while driving

Option 1

Option 2

The moment the car gets off the platform.

To see the values at any point of the
graph, you first need to press the
“Pick data” button.

Part 3: Experiment Procedure

If the track's incline angle is steep, you
may observe significant changes in
distance on the graph.

If the platform's incline angle is small,
you won't notice significant changes on
the distance graph.

Option 1

Option 2

Also, you have

the opportunity

to view these

graphics in more

detail. Near the

graph you can click
on the two up and

down arrows.

Click on any point on the chart to see
the values.

After the experiment you will get a graph similar to
this one.

Part 3: Experiment Procedure

As soon as the toy car reaches the edge of
the platform and launches off, you'll notice a
sharp spike in acceleration on the graph.
This spike indicates the precise moment the
car leaves the platform. Beyond this point,
the data becomes less relevant, as the car is
no longer accelerating but instead begins to
decelerate due to friction and other forces
acting on it.

The moment when the car
leaves the platform

Explore the graphs. Using these graphs, you can understand how long the car moved along
the platform until it left it. You can also see the acceleration that the car received at each
point. You need to collect several of these values ​​​​and calculate the average acceleration of
the car.

The time it took
the car to go down

Average
acceleration
value

Average acceleration value _______

Average acceleration value _______

For more accurate data, run the toy car several times, fill in the table and calculate the
average acceleration. Do not change the platform inclination angle.

Now we know the average acceleration of the car and the time it took the car to descend
from the platform. We can calculate the speed of the car. For this we will use the formula.

or

Where.

= final speed (m/s)

= acceleration (2.5 m/s²)

= time taken (2.8 seconds)

The car's speed at the end of the platform is 7.0 m/s.

Data Interpretation:

• How did the distance the car traveled each second change over time?

• Based on your observations, describe the car’s speed as it moved down the ramp.

• Was your initial prediction correct?

1. What factors might have affected the car’s speed as it moved down the ramp?

Part 4: Data Analysis

Part 5: Concept Questions

Part 6: Reflection

Do your calculations here