My extension included all of the materials used, for the above lesson, with the addition of a cold air hairdryer.
Materials consisted of;
- a bath mat (to be used suction cup side up)
- a piece of deep pile rug
- smooth rug
- linoleum
- the same color and size of marble
- a ramp, positioned at the same angle
- modeling clay for the trough/channel
The ramp had to be set at the same angle for all materials used and the same marble also had to be used for all. At the end of ther ramp, the different materials were changed out to conduct the experiment. All of the expected results were recorded; the smoother the surface the farther the marble traveled. The application of a wind force, (my hairdryer) successfully moved the marble, perpendicularly(at the end of the ramp), indicating that air was a form of friction but this did not convey the visual I wanted. My goal was to be able to stop it on the ramp before it reached the bottom. I wanted to stop the marble in mid-motion. Then, I thought that providing a trough/channel of sorts, for the marble to travel on would keep the marble from moving sideways and show the air current more clearly as a friction force thus demonstrating that air is indeed a form of friction and not simply a reason for the marble’s change of direction. I built a makeshift trough/channel onto the ramp and then applied the wind force of the hairdryer. It kept the marble from continuing down the ramp!
