Activity In this activity, you will try out an experiment to see if you can predict motion and inertia accurately.

Part A

Go to your backyard or to your high school’s basketball court or tennis court and try out this experiment to see if you can predict motion and inertia accurately. Bring a friend or classmate. Take along a ball.

Select two spots roughly 10 meters apart. Mark each of them clearly. The first spot will be the starting point and the second will be the target.

Ask a friend to run as fast as possible (sprint) carrying the ball from the starting point to the target. Have your friend release the ball when he or she is immediately over the target trying NOT to swing arms when dropping the ball.

Record the results in the table below.

Repeat the sprint at least five times. Record where the ball lands each time.

Next, ask your friend to jog to the target with the ball and drop it. In the table, again record where the ball lands. Do two trials.

For the final test, ask your friend to walk to the target and drop the ball. Also, record these results in the table. Do two trials.


Trial Approach Distance from Target Direction from Target
(Before Target? Beyond? Left? Right?)
1 Sprint 54 cm Beyond
2 Sprint 41 cm Beyond
3 Sprint 68 cm Beyond
4 Sprint 32 cm Beyond
5 Sprint 44 cm Beyond
6 Jog 31 cm Beyond
7 Jog 22 cm Beyond
8 Walk 17 cm Beyond and left
9 Walk 6 cm Beyond