Raceways & Rollercoasters – Getting Loopy

Engineering Math Science
Time 1 hour
Age 7 & up
Group Size 4 or more
Tags Balls And Tracks, Building, Experiment,   more...
Marbles Pipe Insulation Problem Solving Roller Coasters Ski Jump Teamwork

Can a marble travel on a track upside down?

Children get too few chances to experiment with materials and to design and build objects of their own creation. These Raceways and Roller Coasters activities allow your students these opportunities, and engage them on many different levels as well. Building these tracks and rolling marbles down them help children to develop problem-solving and teamwork skills and touch upon some basic principles of physics like energy, acceleration and momentum.

Preparation

This activity is the second part of the “Raceways & Rollercoasters” series.  It is not necessary for you to have tried Raceways & Rollercoasters – Marble Races before implementing this activity, but it is suggested.  See the Purchasing and Preparing Pipe Insulation PDF (click here to open) if you have not already prepared the materials.

Raceways & Rollercoasters – Getting Loopy
Share Print

Suggested Materials

  • Foam pipe insulation, 3/4″ – 1″ ID (6 feet per team) (see Purchasing and Preparing Pipe Insulation PDF (click here to open) for instructions on finding and prepping the insulation)
  • Marbles, 1/2″ glass (2 per team)
  • Masking tape
  • String
  • Wooden craft sticks (2 per team)
  • Yardsticks or Tape Measures (1 per team)
  • Paper, pencils
1

Make it Matter

Opening Discussion

Ask your students if they have ever been on a roller coaster before.  Did that roller coaster have any loops?  What is a loop?  Are these loops usually big, small or different sizes?  Ask if any of your students are willing to come up and draw a loop like one they’ve been on or seen, and have them draw it on a piece of chart paper, dry erase board or chalk board.

The Challenge

Can you make a loop with your raceways track that your marble can travel through and make it out the other side?

2

Make it Happen

Doing the Activity

  1. Group your students into teams of 3 for this activity.
  2. Hand out the materials to each team and either have them choose a space to work or assign spaces.
  3. Suggest that each team point their tracks toward a wall, possibly with the end of the track even touching the wall — this will help prevent the marbles from rolling all around the room and will alleviate the inevitable conflict around which marbles belong to which team. Teams should feel free to use anything available to them in the room and should attach their tracks (using the tape) to chairs, desks or the wall. Make sure that the track can stand on its own without any team members having to hold it up.
  4. Have each team attempt to make a working loop. This first attempt should have them focusing on making one working loop, though if some teams are successful early on, they can experiment with multiple loops.
  5. Make sure each team is recording their results. Ask them to measure the width of their loops, from the bottom (usually the ground) to the very top of the loop.
3

Make it Click

Let’s Talk About It

After 10–15 minutes, stop your students and bring them together to share their observations with each other.  Is it easy or hard to make a loop?  Does anyone have any suggestion for the other teams on how to make a successful loop?  Look for ideas on how to create a loop that keeps its shape, and how to attach the pipe insulation so that it stays together.  Did any teams think about the last activity (Marble Races) and whether the angle or steepness of the track makes a difference in the success of their loop?  What sort of angle seems to work well?  This discussion should last no more than 5–10 minutes.

4

Make it Better

Build On What They Talked About

Have teams continue to attempt to make successful loops.  If most teams are having success, challenge them to make the biggest and/or smallest loop they can make.  Near the end of the session or when all teams are done, bring all of the teams together to compare their results.  What was the biggest loop they could make?  What was the smallest?

Suggestions

  • After trying this activity, try the Raceways and Roller Coasters – Marble X activity next.
  • If time allows (or in a second session), have students try to build multiple loops in a single 6-foot section of track (you can give teams more pieces of tubing, making 9- or 12-foot sections, if multiple loops prove difficult with 6 feet of track).  How many loops can they build?  Can all of the loops be the same size?
  • The string is an optional material, which teams might find useful by tying it around their loop to help keep its shape—but don’t give them this suggestion – let them discover it on their own!
Print Friendly