Interactive practical

Average speed down a ramp

Raise a runway with blocks, time a trolley over 1 m with a stopwatch three times at each height, and see how its average speed depends on the slope.

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GCSE Physics

Average speed down a ramp

CCEA 1370 — matched to your course.

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Practical focus

Investigate how the slope of a runway affects the average speed of an object moving down it.

Practical method

Aim

Investigate how the height of a ramp affects the average speed of a trolley rolling down it.

Variables

Independent variable: height of the raised end of the ramp
Dependent variable: average speed over a fixed distance
Control variables: distance travelled (1.00 m); the same trolley and release point; release without a push.

Apparatus

Ramp
Trolley
Blocks to raise the ramp
Metre rule
Stopwatch or light gates
Stop block

Method

Mark a start line and a finish line 1.00 m apart on the ramp.
Raise one end to 5 cm and release the trolley from the start line without pushing it.
Time how long the trolley takes to travel the 1.00 m and calculate average speed = distance ÷ time.
Repeat three times and calculate the mean time.
Increase the height in 5 cm steps to 25 cm and repeat.
Plot average speed against height.

Sample results

Trolley released from rest over a fixed distance of 1.00 m.

Height / cm	Mean time / s	Average speed / m/s
5	1.62	0.62
10	1.15	0.87
15	0.94	1.06
20	0.82	1.22
25	0.73	1.37

Analysis

Average speed increases as the height increases, from 0.62 m/s at 5 cm to 1.37 m/s at 25 cm, but not in proportion: the graph curves. A steeper ramp gives a larger component of weight down the slope, so the trolley accelerates more.

Errors and improvements

Problem	Effect	Improvement
Reaction time with a stopwatch	Large uncertainty in short times	Use light gates or a longer ramp
Trolley pushed at release	Speeds too high	Hold the trolley still and let go
Distance measured from the wrong part of the trolley	Distance wrong	Use the front edge of the trolley at both lines

Risk assessment

Hazard	Risk	Control measure
Trolley falling off the bench	Damage or injury	Use a stop block and a catcher
Ramp slipping	Trapped fingers	Clamp or secure the ramp

Common mistakes

Calling average speed the final speed.
Changing the release point between runs.
Measuring the length of the ramp instead of the timed distance.

Worked analysis

At 15 cm, three times are 0.93, 0.96 and 0.93 s. Mean = 0.94 s. Average speed = 1.00 ÷ 0.94 = 1.06 m/s.

Common misconception

Average speed is not the speed at the bottom of the ramp. The trolley speeds up, so its final speed is higher than its average speed.

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