Question

they were also given a list of materials that they could pour into each container. the students performed an investigation to test different - sized containers filled with different materials to see how long each one took to roll down the ramp. the data they collected are shown below.

container	material filled to top	time to roll down ramp (s)
y	salt	5.2
z	sand	5.0
x	potting soil	5.4
y	potting soil	4.8
z	salt	4.8

based on the data, which combination of container and material likely would roll down the ramp the fastest?
a. container x with salt
b. container z with potting soil
c. container x with sand
d. container y with sand

Explanation:

Faster rolling means shorter time. Analyze trends: Container Z has shorter times than X/Y for same materials (Z+sand=5.0s < X+sand=5.9s; Z+salt=4.8s). Potting soil gives shorter times than sand/salt for same containers (Y+potting soil=4.8s < Y+salt=5.2s; X+potting soil=5.4s < X+sand=5.9s). Combining Z (fastest container) and potting soil (fastest material) would yield the shortest time, hence fastest roll.

Answer:

B. container Z with potting soil