ACT Science Research Summary - Rollercoaster Car

1. Which of the following energy transformations is not demonstrated by the marble rollercoaster in either Experiment 1 or Experiment 2?

• A. Mechanical energy to thermal energy

• B. Mechanical energy to sound

• C. Mechanical energy to chemical energy

• D. Potential energy to kinetic energy

2. When determining the gravitational potential energy of various objects on Earth, which variable would be considered a constant?

• A. h

• B. m

• C. PE_g

• D. g

1. According to the formula provided in the passage, doubling the height of an object should:

• A. double that object’s potential energy.

• B. half that object’s mass.

• C. double that object’s mass.

• D. halve that object’s potential energy

4. In a frictionless environment, with a drop height of A₁ the marble should be able to reach a hill height (C in Figure 1) of:

• A. 1.0 m

• B. 0.6 m.

• C. 1.2 m.

• D. 0.5 m.

5. In Experiment 1, students altered the drop height of the marble to test the effect of which of the following variables on hill height?

• A. Frictional dissipation

• B. Horizontal distance traveled

• C. Initial gravitational potential energy

• D. Mass of the marble

6. What was the maximum drop height used in either experiment?

• A. 0.6 m

• B. 1.2 m

• C. 1.15 m

• D. 1.5 m