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Materials
You will need the following materials for your group:
chalk or tape
meterstick with inches or a yardstick
three stopwatches
Distance vs. Time Data Table in the Student Activity Book
Centimeter Graph Paper
Lab Setup
- Measure a straight track that is 12 yards long. With chalk or tape, mark the beginning and end of the track. Also mark points that are 6 yards and 9 yards from the starting line. (Remember, a yard is 36 inches.)
- Three members of the group will be timers. Another member will be the walker. One timer should stand near the 6-yard mark, one timer should stand near the 9-yard mark, and one timer should stand near the 12-yard mark.
- The walker should begin walking at a steady pace several feet behind the starting line. When the walker crosses the starting line, he or she should say, “Go.” At that moment, all three timers begin their stopwatches. When the walker's front foot touches or crosses each mark, the timer at that marker stops his or her stopwatch. (Practice once or twice with your group before you begin recording your data.)
- Draw a picture of your setup. Be sure to label the variables with symbols.
- What variables will you measure in this experiment?
- What variables are held fixed? Fixed variables are variables that stay the same during the whole experiment so that the only thing that affects the “time taken” is the distance walked.