Rolling Polygons with Granular Material down an Incline*

The dynamics of granular material is an ambiguous topic but continues to be an active area of research. Physicists and other professionals have tried to explain the phenomena through various theoretical models and corresponding laboratory experiments. In this investigation, hollow regular polygons were filled to various degrees of granular media and rolled down a ramp. The dynamics of a terminal velocity and at lower angles a reproducible stopping motion were observed. A potential theory was developed to describe velocity and energy of motion. Trends were apparent in angle versus distance, granules position versus polygon position, and percent fill versus average velocity.