Luge is certainly one of our favorite Olympic occasions to observe. Luge entails one or two athletes sliding down an ice observe at breathtaking speeds toes first on a small sled. It is the quickest Winter Olympic Sport.
Your mission on this exercise is to construct a mini luge observe utilizing a craft stick, cash and tape. It is an effective way to study gravity and friction.
Inquiries to ask
Does a heavier luge go quicker down a ramp?
Does the floor of a ramp have an effect on the pace of a luge?
You will want
- Craft stick
- Small cash
- Tape
- A thick piece of cardboard for the ramp
- Books for the ramp
- Totally different surfaces for the ramp – kitchen foil/bubblewrap
- Timer/stopwatch
- Pen and paper
Directions
Create a ramp utilizing a stack of books and the cardboard.
Draw a begin and end line on the ramp.
Select what to analyze; bear in mind to alter just one variable at a time. Both use the identical luge and alter the ramp floor or use the identical ramp floor and alter the luge.
Surfaces to check
- Card
- Card coated in kitchen foil
- Card coated in bubble wrap
- Card coated in felt
Luges to check
- Craft keep on with no cash
- Craft keep on with one coin on the entrance.
- Craft keep on with one coin on the entrance and one within the center.
- Craft keep on with a coin on the entrance, one within the center and one on the again.
Report the time taken for the luge to move between the beginning and end strains.
Resolve what to analyze after which repeat every situation 3 times. Calculate the typical time for every luge or floor.
High Suggestions
The ramp might be as lengthy or as brief as you need; simply bear in mind to report solely the time taken to journey between the beginning and end strains.
Earlier than beginning the investigation, predict which luge or which floor would be the quickest.
What occurred?
For those who investigated totally different ramp surfaces you most likely discovered that the smoothest floor was the quickest. It is because clean surfaces have much less friction between them, permitting them to maneuver quicker. The rougher the floor the extra friction acts between the floor and no matter is on high of it. Friction slows down transferring objects.
For those who investigated totally different numbers of cash on the craft stick the distinction in pace is all to do with gravity and momentum. When the craft stick is positioned on the ramp, gravity begins to drag it down the slope. The extra cash on the craft stick the extra mass the luge has. The higher the mass, the extra momentum the luge creates because it strikes down the ramp.
In case you have time strive each investigations and examine the outcomes. A luge with extra mass has extra pressure to behave in opposition to the friction, so it could possibly preserve its pace higher than a luge with much less mass.
Do you know? There’s a strict weight restrict for Olympic Luge sleds.
Final Up to date on February 12, 2026 by Emma Vanstone
