Build thrilling stunts and challenges with endless possibilities for kids ages 4 years and older.
Build thrilling stunts and challenges with endless possibilities for kids ages 4 years and older.

Marble Rush™ Ultimate Set™ Friction Challenge

This Marble Rush™ challenge explores the concept of friction. This concept is not easily observed or demonstrated simply by constructing and playing with the marble track set. But with a few simple adjustments to the tracks, this invisible force can be made more obvious.
Marble Rush Ultimate Set

Learn About Friction

Friction is a word to describe a force that slows objects down. It occurs when two objects rub against each other and affects the speed of a moving object. Different materials create different amounts of friction, or resistance. If a marble rolls across a rug, it would move more slowly than across a wood floor.

What’s Needed:

  • Marble Rush™ Ultimate Set
  • 10 Marbles
  • A watch, stopwatch or stopwatch app
  • Masking tape or painter’s tape
  • Kitchen aluminum foil and plastic wrap
See Friction in Action

See Friction in Action

Friction Challenge!

  • Child dropping marble down the funnel on Marble Rush Ultimate Set. Child dropping marble down the funnel on Marble Rush Ultimate Set.
    Complete the construction set as illustrated, then drop the marble down the starting funnel and start the stopwatch. Stop the timer as soon as the marble reaches the end of the track.
  • Child watching marbles while recording length of time from start to finish. Child watching marbles while recording length of time from start to finish.
    Complete three separate runs of the marble and record the times. Do all three runs result in the same time?
  • Drop multiple marbles in the funnel to see how it effects the speed. Drop multiple marbles in the funnel to see how it effects the speed.
    Now drop 10 marbles down the starting funnel as quickly as possible while tracking the time for all the marbles to reach the end. Does it take 10 times longer than one marble to reach the end? Why or why not?

More About Friction

Exploration 1: Rough and Tumble

Explore ways to alter the speed of the marbles without changing the track layout. Apply masking or painter’s tape through some of the longer stretches of the track. Press down on the tape to avoid any raised bumps or ridges. Then, repeat the timing activity with 1 marble and then 10 marbles.

  • How do the new results compare to your original results?
Put tape on a small section of track to see how it changes the amount of time.

Exploration 2: Marble Comparison

Add friction to the marbles instead of the track to alter their speed. Remove any tape that might have applied to the tracks from another activity. Prepare three marbles: one plain marble from the set; one wrapped in a single layer of aluminum foil; and one wrapped in a single layer of plastic cling film. Roll the marbles lightly to smooth out the wrapping. Complete the 5 timing runs with each marble and note the results to see how they compare.

  • Which materials produced the fastest results?
  • What materials created the slowest results?
Cover the marble with aluminum foil and see how that changes the time.

Marble Rush™ Ultimate Set™ Build Options

The easy-to-follow build guide has different build options for multiple levels from beginner to advanced.