Pre-Lab Analytical Questions
Answer these questions in class with your group BEFORE performing your experiment
Free Fall in a Gravity Field
1. Define acceleration.
2. How does acceleration apply to gravity?
3. In this experiment, what object(s) is/are accelerating? Why?
Part 1: Equal Spacing
4. You will hear the washers as they hit the pan. What do you expect to observe
(hear) when you drop the equally spaced washers on to the pie pan?
5. Explain the reasoning behind your answer to #1
Part 2: Equal Timing
6. Is it possible to set up your string such that your washers will hit with equal
timing? If not, why not? If so, how?
7. Do you think your observations for part 2 will be different than those from part 1?
If not, why not? If so, in what way?
8. What do you think you will observe when you drop the string this time?
9. Why?