Marble roller coaster

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Supplies needed per team:
  • 4 folders
  • Tape
  • Scissors (we do not provide these for liability reasons)
Supplies needed per classroom:
  • A marble for each team

How long it takes:  About 50-55 minutes total:

·         5-10 minutes for introduction and explanation of the activity
·         25-30 minutes to design and build the coaster
·         10 minutes to test the coasters
·         5-10 minutes to discuss the results

Challenge:

Build a roller coaster that will keep a marble rolling for as long as possible.

What to do:

1.      Lead a short discussion by asking the children to describe a roller coaster.  What are their characteristics (usually go fast, etc.)?
2.      Explain that their challenge will be to build a roller coaster for a marble using only folders and tape.
3.      Explain that their marble must roll for as long as possible on the coaster without stopping or falling off. Ask them to think of ways to keep it in motion but moving very slowly.
4.      Encourage each team to think out and sketch their design before building.
5.      Have the teacher divide the children into no more than 6 teams with 4 to 6 kids per team. Have one child from each team collect the needed materials or hand them out yourself.
6.      Monitor the teams as they build their coasters. Offer suggestions as needed. Use your discretion in terms of handing out additional supplies. Provide a test marble upon request.
7.      Once all the teams have completed their coaster or the time is up, start testing the coasters.  Have the class count one-one thousand, two-one thousand….to see which team keeps their marble rolling the longest.

Follow-up Questions (feel free to add your own):

  • Ask the group what worked for a successful design? What didn’t’ work?
  • What did they discover made the marble go slower or faster?
  • Are there similarities in the design of each team's slowest coaster?
  • If you could change one thing to make your coaster better, what would it be?

This experiment is also shown in the Middle School experiment section with a more detailed procedure and more difficult goals.

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Grade Level:  Elementary School, 5th and 6th

Related classroom topics:  Civil Engineering, Force

Supplies Needed: 

Divide students into groups of 3-5.  Each group will need: 

·        10-20 file folders

·        Roll of tape

·        Scissors

Procedure: 

1.      Give each group the above supplies

2.      Work as a team to design, build, and test a marble roller coaster that keeps a marble in motion for at least 4 seconds.

3.      Roller coaster must be a in a 3’ x 3’ box space on the wall and can only be attached to the wall. 

Extensions: 

See middle school experiment section for more extensions to the experiment.

Related topics you could discuss:  Engineering design, Construction and analysis, Teamwork, Force, Acceleration, Velocity, and Energy

Hints/Tips:  You can cut, fold, or tear the given materials.

Original Experiment Submitter:  Dr. Ronal Bell, MOVES/Master Builder