How to Make an Aluminum Slope

With aluminum foil, you can create a slick-surfaced racetrack for intense competition.

Aluminum slopes can serve a variety of purposes for science or recreational projects. While the metal is not sturdy enough for heavy vehicles, you can use it to make a sloped track to race toy cars, golf balls or other objects that will roll downhill. With a box of aluminum foil, you can make a slick raceway that will entertain you all afternoon.

Things You'll Need

• Aluminum foil
• Tape measure
• Tape
• Scrap cardboard
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Determine the height and slope you want to use. The longer the slope, the more reinforcement you may need from scrap cardboard.

2. Pull off enough foil for your slope. If you're running a track down from your kitchen counter to the floor, roll enough off and rip it off at the box. Roll the sides of the slope in towards the center to keep your racers on the track. Then secure it to the counter and to the floor with tape.

3. Secure aluminum foil to a piece of scrap cardboard if you want the surface to be aluminum but want a more durable track. Large furnishing boxes, like those refrigerators come in, will give you longer pieces of cardboard so that you can have a long track without a seam where smaller scraps of cardboard would be pieced together.

References

• Brian Dobbs; Hobby Lobby; Plano, Texas