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Scrambler: Drop Weight Vehicle

Build a vehicle powered by a falling mass and tune it to stop exactly at a target line.

Grade 7BuildScience OlympiadEngineeringSciencePhysicsEngineeringMachinesAdvanced1.5 to 2.5 hr8 materialsAdult supervision required

What you'll learn

  • Explain how a falling mass drives a rolling vehicle
  • Tune a design with repeated trials
  • Use data to hit a target distance

Objective

Build a gravity powered vehicle with a string and axle, and adjust it to stop at a target distance.

STEM concepts

Potential energyTorque and axle radiusFrictionCalibration
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Materials and safety
Step-by-step instructions
Prediction, test sheet and results
Why does it work, challenge and project report

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