Magnetic Marble Run

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Learners explore magnetism and motion as they build a simple marble run. Learners test different arrangements of plastic and cardboard tubes, bottles, and cups on a magnetic board. Learners use their marble tracks to investigate gravity, friction, motion, and momentum. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
1 to 2 hours
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Exhibit, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 1 magnetic chalk board or white board, refrigerator or file cabinet
  • magnets, many small ceramic ones
  • PVC pipe, cardboard tube, or plastic tubing
  • plastic bottles, cups, or jars
  • marbles
  • tacks
  • masking tape
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun
  • nail
  • small saw or shears

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
  • Mathematics
    • Geometry
      • Plane Geometry
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Invention and Innovation
      • Problem Solving
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Informal Categories

  • Toys

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Oakland Discovery Centers

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Oakland Discovery Centers, 2012