Mechanics
Load on a ramp
Watch the load creep down — a ramp needs less force than lifting.
Load on a ramp — interactive Mechanics simulation. Watch the load creep down — a ramp needs less force than lifting. Free browser-based virtual physics lab with live SI measurements and a guided tutorial.
Inclined plane as a machine
A ramp lets you raise a load with a smaller force applied over a longer distance — trading distance for force.
The work done ideally equals the gain in gravitational potential energy. A longer, shallower ramp reduces the required push force at the cost of moving the load farther along the slope.
- W = Fd = mgh (ideal)
- F_parallel = mg sin θ
Investigation brief
Plan the question before you open the lab
The brief mirrors the prerendered page: driving question, competing predictions, variable roles, governing laws, setup, analysis and extension prompts remain visible and in this order.
Driving question
If you release the load from rest and steepen the ramp's angle, what happens to its speed after the same amount of time?
Predictions to weigh
- It speeds up faster — a steeper ramp gives a larger acceleration.
- It reaches the same speed — angle doesn't affect how fast it accelerates.
- It speeds up slower — a steeper ramp gives a smaller acceleration.
Variable roles
What you set:
- Ramp angle (deg)
- Load mass (kg)
- Elapsed time (s)
What you measure:
- Speed (m/s)
- Kinetic energy (J)
How the investigation runs
- Open the Ramp & Load preset in the mechanics sandbox.
- Select the ramp and use the Properties panel to set its incline angle for this trial.
- Release the load from rest at the top and read its speed off the probe after the listed elapsed time.
Governing equation
Kinetic Energy — KE = ½·m·v²
The load's kinetic energy grows with the square of its speed as it accelerates down the ramp — doubling the speed quadruples the KE.
Gravitational Potential Energy — PE = m·g·h
On a frictionless ramp, the gravitational PE the load loses as it descends converts entirely into the kinetic energy it gains — nothing is lost to heat.
What the printable worksheet asks students to work out
- Using v = g sin θ · t, compute the expected speed for each row and compare it to what you read off the probe.
- The load's mass stays fixed at 3 kg across all three trials while the angle changes. What does that tell you about the relationship between mass and acceleration on a frictionless ramp?
Where this shows up beyond the lab
- Two loads of different mass are released from the same angle at the same time. Which one reaches the bottom first? Use your data to justify your answer.
- Real ramps have friction. If this ramp weren't frictionless, would the measured speed be higher or lower than your v = g sin θ · t prediction, and why?
- AP Physics 1 — Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
- AP Physics C: Mechanics — Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
- IB Physics — A.3 Work, energy and power
- General High School Physics — Work, energy & power
- NGSS High School Physics — Energy accounting in systems
- Welcome to Ramp Load
- Select the load
- Press Play
- Raise the load
- Open the data
- You did it!
Open the interactive simulation to build the scene, press Play, and explore with live measurements and a guided tutorial.