Picket Fence Lab Questions.
Name_______________________
Procedure #5: Describe in words each graph in the spaces below.
d vs. t
v vs. t
Sample Equation (Ax2 +Bx+C)
Sample equation (Ax+C)
DATA TABLE
Trial
1
2
3
4
5
6
Slope (m/s2)
Minimum
Maximum
Average
Acceleration (m/s2)
Acceleration due to gravity, g
Precision

m/s2
%
1) Describe in words the shape of the distance vs. time graph for the free fall of the
picket fence. What type of motion does this represent?
2) Describe in words the shape of the velocity vs. time graph. What type of motion does
this represent?
3) Compare your measurement to the generally accepted value of g (from a textbook or
other source). Does the accepted value fall within the range of your values? If so, your
experiment agrees with the accepted value.
Accepted Value_____________Withing Range Y/N______
4) Inspect your velocity graph. How would the associated acceleration vs. time graph
look? Describe your prediction. Change the y-axis to acceleration. Find the average
acceleration by examining the values displayed to the right of the graph. How does this
compare with the acceleration value for the same drop, determined from the slope of the
velocity graph?
6) Would dropping the Picket Fence from higher above the Photogate change the
acceleration? Explain.
6b) Would dropping the Picket Fence from higher above the Photogate change the
initial velocity of the v/t graph ? Explain
7) Would throwing the Picket Fence downward, but letting go before it enters the
Photogate, change the acceleration of the v/t graph? Explain.
7b) Would throwing the Picket Fence downward, but letting go before it enters the
Photogate, change the initial velocity of the v/t graph? Explain.
7c) How would throwing the Picket Fence upward change the displacement/time
graph?
7d) How would throwing the Picket Fence upward change the velocityt/time graph?
BONUS) Use the distance vs. time data and a quadratic fit to determine g and the initial
velocity of the picket fence. (Ax2 + Bx +C)
A=________ B=__________
g=_____________
vi =_______________