Students were challenged to come up with 2 experiments based on their hypothesis and 1-2 experiments based on anything that piques their curiosity. Here are some results of a few of the many experiments that were ran.
Student Experiments
This student wanted to see if the energy from the ball goes into the table in the form of vibrations. To test this idea out, she put rice on the table to see if the rice shook after the ball hit the table.
Results: the rice shook.
They then wanted to see if height of the ball made a difference with the amount the rice shook.
Results: it vibrated more when they increased the height.
Results: the rice shook.
They then wanted to see if height of the ball made a difference with the amount the rice shook.
Results: it vibrated more when they increased the height.
This student wanted to see if the energy from the ball went into the table by making it vibrate. To test this, he placed a cup of water on the table full of water and looked to see if waves are generated in the cup when the ball hit the table.
Results: The water vibrated.
Results: The water vibrated.
This student wanted to see if the ball would make waves on the surface of the water if the ball hit a flat surface that was floating on the water.
Results: it created waves on the surface.
Results: it created waves on the surface.
These students were testing to see if the ball makes sound after it hits.
Results: The students heard sound.
They then wanted to see if height made a difference with the sound.
Results: it got louder when they dropped it from a higher height.
Results: The students heard sound.
They then wanted to see if height made a difference with the sound.
Results: it got louder when they dropped it from a higher height.
This student was testing to see if energy from the ball would transfer into the other ball floating in the water - and found out that indeed the floating ball did receive the energy from the falling ball, and got dunked deeper into the water. The ping pong ball in the water represented molecules from the table.
Results: The blue ball made the ping pong ball go down into the cup of water.
Results: The blue ball made the ping pong ball go down into the cup of water.
This student was testing to see if either the table or the ball heated up as a result of colliding.
Results: though controversial, the table may have warmed up slightly and so did the ball. Further testing may need to happen.
Results: though controversial, the table may have warmed up slightly and so did the ball. Further testing may need to happen.
This student was studying the elasticity of the ball as the energy was leaving the system via splatter patterns on the table.
Results: the splatter patterns start out large and progressively get smaller.
Results: the splatter patterns start out large and progressively get smaller.