For this activity, students will use different materials to find the most effective way to use an inclined plane (in other words, moving an object with as little force as possible). This is a guided inquiry. Although the students will be allowed to plan their investigation and choose from a variety of material, they are all trying to answer the same question: How can we use an inclined plane to get an object from point A to point B using as little force as possible? They will discover that not only does the slope of the incline play a major role, but so does the amount of friction.

Concepts

distance, force, friction, simple machines, work, inclined planes

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Additional Tags

angle of slope, inclined ramp, investigating the inclined plane through inquiry, inclined plane

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 4 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)