Lab Partners: Kevin N, Jose Rodriguez
Date: 4 March, 2017
Free Fall Lab
Purpose: We will try to examine why gravity accelerates at a rate of 9.8 m/s^2.
Theory: When we drop an object at a certain height, gravity will make the object accelerate at a rate of 9.8 m/s^2.
In the picture above, we used an apparatus to collect data. As an object is free falling, its fall is precisely recorded by a spark generator. The marks that are made in intervals on the spark sensitive tape will give us a permanent record of the fall. With the collected data, we are able to construct a distance-time graph and a velocity-time graph. Then, we are able to calculate acceleration.
After using the apparatus, we measured the distance of each mark to another and continued until made our way to the end of the tape. The apparatus will give us a series of dots on the tape corresponding to the position of the falling mass every 1/60th of a second.
In the picture on the left, we plugged each measurement into our loggers pro program to give us a graph of our velocity-time graph.
The picture on the right is our velocity-time graph in a closer view. After we created our
graph, we were able to make an equation that represents the velocity-time graph.
The picture on the right is our data in a closer view. We use this data to create our distance/time and velocity/time graphs.
The picture on the right is our distance-time graph that we have created with the collected data. After creating our graph, we were able to make an equation that represents the distance-time graph.
1. In order to show for constant acceleration that the velocity in the middle of a time interval is the same as the average velocity for that time interval is to pick two points in the velocity-time graph and apply the following equation:
2. To get the acceleration due to gravity from a velocity/time graph, students must take the single derivative of their velocity/time equation.
3. To get the acceleration due to gravity from a position/time graph, students must take the double derivative of their distance/time equation.
To continue, the picture above are the results of all the groups. In average, the class got an average acceleration of approximately 961.506 cm/s^2. In addition, we also calculated average deviation and found the class's standard deviation. We find deviation in order to calculate how far they are from the actual value.
In order to find standard deviation of the mean, we apply the standard deviation formula:
Where N is the number of trials.
1. In our data, we get values of g around the range of 950cm/s^2 to 965cm/s^2.
2. In comparison to the accepted value of g, our results were a bit off by a little.
3. Overall, our class's data was lower than the accepted value of g.
4. There are possible errors that could of occurred during this lab. A random error that might occur is when students are measuring their tapes to get data. Their measurements could be off by one cm. Also, a systematic error that could occur is having a problem with calculating our data on our computers that might result us in having a different value of g. Lastly, a systematic error that could of occurred is if the apparatus misses a mark on the tape, which results in different measurements.
5. In conclusion to the free falling lab, we weren't able to get the exact result of the value of g(9.8m/s^2), but we were off a little bit. During the lab, we were able to gain data in order to figure out if we can prove that gravity is 9.8m/s^2. The key idea is that standard deviation is able to help students calculate how far they are from the actual value.
After using the apparatus, we measured the distance of each mark to another and continued until made our way to the end of the tape. The apparatus will give us a series of dots on the tape corresponding to the position of the falling mass every 1/60th of a second.
In the picture on the left, we plugged each measurement into our loggers pro program to give us a graph of our velocity-time graph.
The picture on the right is our velocity-time graph in a closer view. After we created our
graph, we were able to make an equation that represents the velocity-time graph.
The picture on the right is our data in a closer view. We use this data to create our distance/time and velocity/time graphs.
The picture on the right is our distance-time graph that we have created with the collected data. After creating our graph, we were able to make an equation that represents the distance-time graph.
Analysis:
3. To get the acceleration due to gravity from a position/time graph, students must take the double derivative of their distance/time equation.
To continue, the picture above are the results of all the groups. In average, the class got an average acceleration of approximately 961.506 cm/s^2. In addition, we also calculated average deviation and found the class's standard deviation. We find deviation in order to calculate how far they are from the actual value.
In order to find standard deviation of the mean, we apply the standard deviation formula:
Where N is the number of trials.1. In our data, we get values of g around the range of 950cm/s^2 to 965cm/s^2.
2. In comparison to the accepted value of g, our results were a bit off by a little.
3. Overall, our class's data was lower than the accepted value of g.
4. There are possible errors that could of occurred during this lab. A random error that might occur is when students are measuring their tapes to get data. Their measurements could be off by one cm. Also, a systematic error that could occur is having a problem with calculating our data on our computers that might result us in having a different value of g. Lastly, a systematic error that could of occurred is if the apparatus misses a mark on the tape, which results in different measurements.
5. In conclusion to the free falling lab, we weren't able to get the exact result of the value of g(9.8m/s^2), but we were off a little bit. During the lab, we were able to gain data in order to figure out if we can prove that gravity is 9.8m/s^2. The key idea is that standard deviation is able to help students calculate how far they are from the actual value.
A lab blog is your record of what you did, told in the past tense. So rather than "Students will . . . " just tell what you did, or what the experiment was about.
ReplyDelete