Question

Andre is studying snails and how fast they travel. He observes three groups of snails containing four snails each. Here are the recorded observations from Andre’s notebook: Group A Snails averaged a speed of 4.7cm/min in a petri dish. Group B Snails averaged a speed of 2.8 cm/min on sandpaper. Group C Snails averaged a speed of 3.3 cm/min in the dirt. Based on this data, what is affecting the snails’ speed?

Answer 1

The material that the snails are moving on affects their speed. On a smooth material, (petri dish) the snails moved the fastest. On a rough material (sandpaper) the snails moved the slowest. On dirt, a compromise between smooth and rough, the snails moved at a medium pace. The material and possibly friction affect this.