Marshmallow Shooters

Marshmallow Shooter

QUESTION: What factors affect the force of a marshmallow shooter?

MATERIALS

paper cup meter stick Scissors Balloon

metric ruler transparent tape mini marshmallow

PROCEDURE:

1. Tie a knot in the end of the balloon, then snip off about 2 cm from the top of the balloon.
2. Cut the bottom out of the paper cup.
3. Stretch the balloon over the end of the cut off paper cup so that the knot is in
4. the center of the cup.
5. Tape the stretched balloon securely onto the paper cup so that when you
6. pull on the knot of the balloon it stretches with your pull but does not come off the paper cup.
7. Place one mini marshmallow inside the cup so that it rests on the
8. center of the balloon covering the end of the cup.
9. Pointing the opening of the cup away from you and others,
10. pull the knot back and release it so that it snaps and shoots the mini
11. marshmallow out of the cup.
12. Repeat Step 6 but pull the knot a distance of 2 cm and release it.
13. Record the distance the marshmallow lands from the edge of the cup.
14. Repeat Step 7 two more times.
15. Repeat Steps 7 and 8, but this time pull the knot 4 cm and release it.
16. Repeat Steps 7 and 8, using two marshmallows.
17. Repeat Steps 7 and 8, using four marshmallows instead of two.

DATA:

Variable	Trial 1 (distance cm)	Trial 2 (distance cm)	Trial 3 (distance cm)	Trial 4 (distance cm)
2 cm Pull 1 Marshmallow	63 cm	93 cm	86 cm	42 cm
4 cm Pull 1 Marshmallow	1 m 29 cm	2 m 18 cm	1 m 99 cm	2 m 21 cm
2 cm Pull 2 Marshmallows	53 1m 12 cm	28 cm 57 cm	25 cm 30 cm	33 cm 42 cm
2 cm Pull 4 Marshmallows	12 cm 25.5 cm 31 cm 69.5 cm	20 cm 27 cm 27.3 cm 47 cm	17.2 cm 21 cm 23 cm 34.1 cm	16 cm 35 cm 52.3 cm 76.8 cm

QUESTIONS:

1. What force causes the marshmallow to shoot out of the cup?

There is no name for a pulling force. That was the force used in this experiment.

2. How does the distance the marshmallow flew when the balloon was pulled back
3. 2 cm compare with how far it flew when the balloon was pulled back 4 cm? Why?

Because the pressure of the pulled back balloon was greater and harder.

3. Why do the two marshmallows fly further than the 4 marshmallows?

Because 2 marshmallows are lighter and easier to control then 4 marshmallows.

When you put in the most force to launch something, it will go farther then if you put
very little force towards it.

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