Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

What angle of an inclined plane would give the most power to a soccer ball when moving down it?

This question isn't specific enough to answer. Technically speaking, the largest amount of power (as in watts) imparted to a ball "rolling" down a real-world slope would be a vertical one, because there would be little or no friction slowing it down.

Perhaps you're asking what angle will impart the greatest horizontal velocity on the ball. If so, that sounds like a *great* experiment to run. I would suggest acquiring a soccer ball, a board, and a protractor and finding out!