Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Problem/Question - Will two spheres with different
masses fall towards earth at the same rate?
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Hypothesis - Generate your own
hypothesis for this experiment.
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Materials/Procedure - Balance
- Small steel sphere
- Large steel sphere
- Foam pad
- Meter stick
- Stopwatch
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Materials/Procedure 1) Set up the rubber pad on the floor to
catch the steel spheres after they have
dropped to the floor.
2) Using a meter stick, measure the
height of the lab bench where the
spheres will be dropped.
3) Choose one partner to drop the ball,
one partner to time the drop, one partner
to retrieve the ball and one partner to
record the data.
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Materials/Procedure 4) Measure the mass of both spheres
and record in the data table.
5) Practice dropping the ball a few times
at a height even with the lab bench.
6) When ready, begin recording the data
in your data table.
7) Complete ten trials for each sphere,
recording times in your data table.
8) Complete the data analysis and
conclusion.
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Data -
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Data Analysis 2
1) Use the equation: a = 2d/t to calculate
the acceleration of each drop and record in
your data table.
2) Use the equation below to calculate the
percent error between the measured and
accepted values for the acceleration due to
2
gravity for each drop. Use 9.8 m/s as the
accepted value.
% error = measured value - accepted value
accepted value
x 100
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Data Analysis 3) Calculate the average acceleration for
each size ball and enter results in the data
table.
Free Fall Laboratory Experiment
Conclusion - Provide a conclusion that includes a
description of the relationship between acceleration
from gravity and mass.