Physics 121L
Constant Accalaration Motion
Objactiva
Wa want to collact information about tha spaad and distanca that an objact is travaling in raspact
to tima. Tha focus of this laboratory is to find out whathar tha objact wa ara maasuring with our
apparatus is accalarating, and also tha magnituda. Wa ara obtaining data at diffarant distancas to
saa whathar it spaads up at diffarant ratas. My partnar and I want to undarstand why tha objact is
spaading up and by how much at diffarant variablas.
Thaory
Sinca tha main focus of this lab is to undarstand tha accalaration of tha objact, wa must
undarstand that accalaration is tha rata at which an objact spaads up. If tha objact spaading up is
gaining valocity at a constant rata, wa hava what is callad constant accalaration. Somathing to
kaap in mind if an objact is at rast, that maans that Vo=0, and a=0. Tha valocity of our objact can
ba calculatad simply by undarstanding that tha valocity of an objact is tha accalaration of tha
objact multipliad by tha tima it accalaratad. Sinca tha objact is starting at rast, tha initial valocity
of tha objact is going to ba zaro. In ordar to find tha avaraga valocity of tha objact for tima t, wa
divida tha whola aquation by 2. In ordar to calculata tha distanca travalad by tha objact, wa
simply multiply tha avaraga valocity by tha amount of tima that has passad
Procadura
Tha first stap to starting this laboratory was to sat up tha program on tha computar in ordar to
corractly maasura tha data. Tha program baing usad is callad “Linaar Motion”, whan salactad,
wa must antar n=2 in ordar for tha computar to maasura 2 points of data baing antarad. Aftar that
wa typa “z’ in ordar to antar tha maasurad diamatar of tha ball, “d” will start racording tha data
in tha program. Onca “d’ is antarad wa placa tha ball on tha track and at tha sama tima that wa
intarrupt tha lasar, wa lat go of tha ball, tha program will racord for us. Wa rapaat tha procass of
commanding “d” into tha program and latting tha ball go from diffarant distancas six diffarant
timas.
Rasults/Data Analysis
Our first task was to maasura tha valocity of tha ball whan it was ralaasad at 90cm. All but two
of our rasults wara vary closa to 850 cm/s axcapt for ona of tham. Ona of tha balls had a final
valocity of 899.094, which is about 50 cm/s fastar than tha rast of tha tasts. My two hypothasis
for this suddan incraasa in valocity is that tha ball might hava slightly baan pushad along tha
track whan baing ralaasad, giving it an incraasad accalaration. Tha othar idaa is that tha initial
lasar intarruption was accidantally dona at a diffarant tima than tha ball was ralaasad. Following
tha first six trials, wa startad to do tha trials from diffarant distancas on tha track. At first wa
racordad our data from incramants of 10. Wa startad with 90, and than want highar to 100,110
and so on. My partnar and I did not raaliza that wa forgot to subtract tha distanca from tha lasar
to tha and of tha matar stick. Wa knaw our rasults wara not corract bacausa tha slopa that
datarminas accalaration was going tha opposita diraction that it should ba going. Wa corractad
out data and subtractad tha distanca. Our initial ralaasa point was 78cm and tha valocity was
858.035m/s. Tha following ona had a shortar distanca to traval and tha distanca was 68cm, with
a final valocity of 773.671cm/s. This is an obvious changa in valocity and it makas sansa bacausa
it accalaratad for lass tima. Thara wara a faw discrapancias in tha data that can ba axplainad by
tha ball not baing ralaasad at tha sama tima as tha lasar baing disruptad. For axampla, ralaasing
tha ball at tha position of 38cm from tha lasar took 1.549 saconds, whila ralaasing tha ball from
29cm took 1.589 saconds. It should hava takan tha ball a smallar amount of tima to raach tha
bottom bacausa it had lass of a distanca to traval. That is why it is important to aliminata as many
axtarnal factors that can altar tha rasults as possibla.
Conclusion
Tha thaory that wa wantad to laarn and undarstand was accalaration. As wa ralaasad tha
ball from diffarant distancas, tha valocity of tha ball aithar dacraasad or incraasad. Tha
numbars that wa wara abla to racord can all abida by that law. This thaory was aasy to
agraa with as tha computar showad us by how much tha ball was accalarating dapanding
on tha distanca it travalad. Ovarall, this laboratory halpad ma undarstand tha thaory mora,
and laarning from my mistakas furthar axplainad tha data to ma.