Today we’re going to talk about how to slingshot stuff. Well, not just any stuff, in this case we’re flinging a Rubik's Cube and a softball. Why, you ask? Recently we were wondering, “Does the shape of an object affect the distance it can be launched?” To find out, we decided to conduct a very scientific experiment of our own.
Hypothesis - Prediction: If the cube is used, then it won’t go as far as a sphere.
Hypothesis - Rationale: because the sphere is round so it’ll go farther
Independent (Manipulated) Variable: Both the softball and the Rubix Cube.
Dependent (Responding) Variable: The distance which each object is launched.
Constants: The slingshot, the person pulling back the slingshot, how far back the slingshot is pulled, and where they are launched.
Equipment: 1 softball, 1 rubix cube (with sink drain attached to match the mass of the softball), duct tape, 2 meter sticks, 1 trundle wheel (to measure the distance after the objects are launched), 1 slingshot (ours was homemade), and 1 sheet to record data.
Procedure:
1. gather materials: one softball/one rubix cube with same mass and size
one sling shot with markings of how far to launch
yardstick to measure distance
paper to record
2. prepare materials
3. measure how far 1st object goes (x2)
4. measure how far 2nd object goes (x2)
5. get average for both
6. analyze, look to see which went further
DATA:
Softball Launch #1
|
29 m
|
Softball Launch #2
|
26 m
|
Average
| |
27.5
| |
Rubix Cube Launch #1
|
20 m
|
Rubix Cube Launch #2
|
13 m
|
Average
| |
16.5 m
|
Analyis: Our experiment
Conclusion: Our hypothesis is correct because the softball went farther than the Rubix Cube every time. The scientific explanation for these results is that since the softball is round, it rolled farther after it was launched. The cube’s edges caused it to stop rolling sooner than the softball.
