Constant Acceleration Lab
Name_____________________________ Period____
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the motion of an object that is increasing its velocity
at a constant rate (constant acceleration). The relationships between position, velocity, and acceleration
will be determined.
Q1: As the glider moves it will burn a dot on the timer tape once every 1/15 of a second. If the glider is
increasing its velocity as it moves, how will the dots be spaced on the timer tape? (describe or draw)
Procedure: 1. Make sure the airtrack is tilted up with a brick under the end with one leg.
2. Measure about one meter of timer tape and attach it to the yellow metal strip on the air track with 3
magnets, making it as flat as possible. Turn on the air supply, release the glider from the high end to
check to make sure it doesn't touch the timer tape or magnets.
3. Make sure the spark timer is set to 15, hold the glider back using a Plastic ruler at the top of the
airtrack. . Making Sure No One is Touching the Airtrack, depress and hold the red button on the
spark timer and then smoothly release the glider. Release the red button before the glider bounces back
and ruins your data.
4. Remove your timer tape and check to see if there are data points on it. If it checks out, continue with
the analysis and questions below.
Analysis: 1. Dot zero is where the glider was when the red button was depressed. It should be a little
darker than the others because several sparks passed through before the glider was released. Measure
the distance to the nearest 0.05 cm between dot zero at least the next 15 dots and record it in a data
table of Time (dot #) and Position that you construct on your graph paper as shown in class. Time is
measured in dots.
2. Make a graph of Position Vs Time on graph paper (time on the X axis). Draw a smooth curve
through your data.
Q2: Study the shape of your Position Vs Time graph. How would a graph of a glider moving at a
constant velocity differ from it?
Q3: Where on the graph is the velocity the greatest? How can you tell from the slope of the graph at
this point?
Q4: Where on the graph is the velocity the least? How can you tell from the slope of the graph at this
point?
3. Determine the change in position between dot zero and dot 1, dot 1 and dot 2, and so on. Knowing
that the change in time is one dot, calculate the average velocity during each interval. The average
velocity includes data from two time points. It is not the actual velocity at either of those times because
the velocity is constantly changing. If the velocity is changing at a constant rate, the glider's average
velocity is the velocity at the midpoint between the 2 times. For example, the average velocity between
dot zero and dot 1 is the glider's actual velocity at time 0.5 and it should be recorded in the data table
and graphed at 0.5. Make a data table of Time (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, …14.5), change in distance, and
velocity on your graph paper and record your data in it.
4. Graph Velocity Vs Time on graph paper (time on X axis). Draw a line of best fit with a straight
edge. Pick 2 points on your best fit line and calculate the slope. Show all of your work and your result
on your graph. Don't forget the units.
Q5: What does the slope of your Velocity Vs Time graph tell you about the motion of the glider? What
does this slope represent? (hint: look at the units of the slope)
5. Draw a vertical line from the time = 10 dot on the X axis of your Velocity graph up to the best fit
line. Calculate the area enclosed by this line, the best fit line, and the x and y axes). Show your work
on your graph.
Q6: Compare the area under your Velocity graph with the change in position of the glider at t = 10
dots. State the relationship between the area under a Velocity graph and the position of the glider
below.
6. Draw a tangent to your curve on the Position Vs Time graph at t = 7 dots using a straight edge. Pick
2 points on the tangent and calculate its slope. Show all of your work on your graph.
Q7: Compare the slope of your tangent line to the glider's velocity at t = 7 dots. Describe the
relationship between the slope of a tangent to a Position graph and the Velocity below.
7. The slope of your Velocity graph represents the acceleration of the glider. Using your value for the
slope of your Velocity graph, construct a graph of Acceleration Vs Time (since it is constant, this
should be easy). Draw a vertical line from the time = 10 dot on the X axis of your Acceleration graph
up to the Acceleration line. Calculate the area enclosed by this line, the Acceleration line, and the x
and y axes. (Should be a rectangle) Show your work on your graph.
Q8: Compare the area found above to the velocity at t = 10 dots. Describe the relationship between the
area under the Acceleration graph and the change in velocity below.
Q9: Below is a velocity graph showing the results of another glider experiment. Complete the
acceleration graph by drawing a line with a straight edge.
Q10: What is the change in position of the glider between t = 0 dots and t = 8 dots? (Show your work)
Q11: What is the change in position of the glider between t = 2 dots and t = 6 dots? (Show your work)
Q12: Below is a acceleration graph showing the results of another glider experiment. Complete the
velocity graph by drawing a line with a straight edge.
Q13: Below is a distance graph showing the results of another glider experiment. What was different
about the setup of the airtrack? Complete the velocity graph by drawing a line with a straight edge.
Q14: Below is a velocity graph showing the results of another glider experiment. Complete the
distance graph by drawing a line with a straight edge.
Q15: A Honda Civic Si accelerates from rest to 60 mi/hr in 8.0 seconds. Assuming the acceleration is
constant, what is the average velocity during this 8 seconds? At what time did it have a velocity equal
to this average velocity? Show all of your work below. Hint: draw the velocity graph below.
Velocity (mi/hr)
80
60
40
20
0
0
2
4
6
8
Time (s ec)
Conclusion: Summarize the relationship between Position, Velocity, and Acceleration. Include how
each can be determined from graphs.