ALDRIDGE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
INVESTIGATING AND MEASURING MOTION
SHORT EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS 1
EXPERIMENT 1: Projectile Motion
Science Department
Subject Details
10 Physics
1
Subject:
Semester:
Unit:
Name:
Projectile Motion Data Logging
Year:
Teacher:
Item:
Mr Carson
SEI1
Conditions
You must adhere to the school assessment policy.
Formulae booklet will be supplied and calculators allowed.
Show all working, neatly and well set out, in the exam booklets provided
Criterion
Overall Grade
DATE SET:
DUE DATE :
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Knowledge and
Conceptual
Understanding
Investigative
Processes
Evaluating and
Concluding
ALDRIDGE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
INVESTIGATING AND MEASURING MOTION
Writing your Report
Once you have collected your data and analysed it, you can begin to compile your report. The outline and checklist
for each of these sections is provided.
SECTION
TITLE
CONTENTS
THEORY
METHOD
RESULTS
ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Outline of Section
An accurate, concise description of the
project, which provides the reader with an idea
of what the investigation is about
A single page listing the contents of the report,
and what page each section is on. A Table of
Diagrams may also be relevant.
A theoretical and descriptive introduction to
the project. It should outline the theoretical
background of the project
An accurate description of materials used and
experimental procedures, allowing the
investigation to be repeated
A full description of all data, with use of tables
and figures to summarise and present findings
The place to describe the relevance of your
results and any limitations in your approach
i.e. Providing the reader with an interpretation
of both qualitative and quantitative data
A summary of your analysis. What are the
key points that can be drawn from the results
and analysis
An alphabetical list of all sources used during
the project.
ALDRIDGE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
INVESTIGATING AND MEASURING MOTION
PROJECTILE MOTION – VIDEO ANALYSIS WITH “LOGGER PRO”
Aim:
To examine the horizontal and vertical components of projectile motion,
To develop familiarisation with video analysis, and
To increase awareness of using gradients from graphs.
Equipment:
Digital Video camera (or a digital still that can take digital footage in AVI format)
Photographic tripod
metre rulers (2)
a ball (tennis ball or bigger)
(Note: the ball must not be light enough for the wind to have a significant effect on it)
Instructions:
1. Clear an area where the ball will be thrown – you will need about 5 to 8 metres.
2. Set up the camera at least 10m away (side on to where the ball will be thrown).
3. Set up the two rulers end to end directly under where the ball will be travelling.
4. Adjust the zoom on the camera until you have the whole throwing area in field of view –
including the two metre rulers.
5. Record two throws of the ball – one throw should be a slow loopy throw, the other should be
a bit flatter.
6. Download (“capture”) the video footage to the computers and use Logger Pro to analyse the
videos as shown in class. You will need for your results:
a. a graph for each throw with horizontal and vertical position versus time,
b. a graph for each throw with horizontal and vertical velocity versus time. On each
graph you should show the line of best fit as described below…
c. the horizontal and vertical acceleration for each throw is determined by the gradient
of the line of best fit:
i. Select the points on the graph you want the computer to use for the line of
best fit.
ii. Select Analyse/Linear Fit.
iii. Right click in the data box for the linear fit. Choose “Linear Fit Options…”
and check “Slope” under “Standard Deviations”.
Questions/Analysis:
Q1. What do you notice about the vertical acceleration (or “y” acceleration) for each throw?
Q2. What do you notice about the horizontal (or “x” acceleration for each throw?
Q3. How does this acceleration compare with the acceleration due to gravity on an object falling
straight down?
Q4. Calculate the error in the acceleration for each throw
% error 
accepted value  experiment result
accepted value
Research:
Q5. The initial velocity of the ball is found from the vector addition of the horizontal (or “x”)
velocity and the vertical (or “y”) velocity. Find out how to do a vector addition and
determine the initial velocity of the ball for both the throws.
Q6. There is a fairly simple formula to predict the maximum height of a projectile from the initial
velocity of the projectile and its angle of elevation. Find this rule and use it to predict the
maximum height from the velocities found in part a.
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ALDRIDGE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
INVESTIGATING AND MEASURING MOTION
Standards associated with exit criteria
Criterion
A
B
C
D
E
Knowledge and
conceptual
understanding
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the following
characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
 reproduction and interpretation
of complex and challenging
concepts, theories and
principles
 reproduction and interpretation
of complex or challenging
concepts, theories and principles
 reproduction of concepts,
theories and principles
 reproduction of simple
ideas and concepts
The student work has
the following
characteristics:
 comparison and explanation of
complex concepts, processes
and phenomena
 comparison and explanation of
concepts, processes and
phenomena
 explanation of simple
processes and phenomena
 description of simple
processes and
phenomena
 recognition of
isolated simple
phenomena
 linking and application of
algorithms, concepts,
principles, theories and
schema to find solutions in
complex and challenging
situations.
 linking and application of
algorithms, concepts, principles,
theories and schema to find
solutions in complex or
challenging situations.
 application of algorithms,
principles, theories and
schema to find solutions in
simple situations.
 application of algorithms,
principles, theories and
schema.
 application of simple
given algorithms.
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the following
characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
 formulation of justified
significant
questions/hypotheses which
inform effective and efficient
design, refinement and
management of investigations
 formulation of justified
questions/hypotheses which
inform design and management
of investigations
 formulation of questions and
hypotheses to select and
manage investigations
 implementation of given
investigations
The student work has
the following
characteristics:
 assessment of risk, safe
selection and adaptation of
equipment, and appropriate
application of technology to
gather, record and process
valid data
 assessment of risk, safe
selection of equipment, and
appropriate application of
technology to gather, record and
process data
 assessment of risk, safe
selection of equipment, and
appropriate application of
technology to gather and
record data
 safe use of equipment
and technology to gather
and record data
 safe directed use of
equipment to gather
data
 systematic analysis of primary
and secondary data to identify
relationships between
patterns, trends, errors and
anomalies.
 analysis of primary and
secondary data to identify
patterns, trends, errors and
anomalies.
 analysis of primary and
secondary data to identify
obvious patterns, trends,
errors and anomalies.
 identification of obvious
patterns and errors.
 recording of data.
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the following
characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
The student work has the
following characteristics:
 analysis and evaluation of
complex scientific
interrelationships
 analysis of complex scientific
interrelationships
 description of scientific
interrelationships
 identification of simple
scientific
interrelationships
The student work has
the following
characteristics:
Investigative
processes
Evaluating and
concluding
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 reproduction of
isolated facts
 guided use of given
procedures
 identification of
obvious scientific
interrelationships
ALDRIDGE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
Criterion
INVESTIGATING AND MEASURING MOTION
A
B
C
D
E
 exploration of scenarios and
possible outcomes with
justification of conclusions/
recommendations
 explanation of scenarios and
possible outcomes with
discussion of conclusions/
recommendations
 description of scenarios and
possible outcomes with
statements of conclusion/
recommendation
 identification of
scenarios or possible
outcomes
 statements about
outcomes
 discriminating selection, use
and presentation of scientific
data and ideas to make
meaning accessible to
intended audiences through
innovative use of range of
formats.
 selection, use and presentation
of scientific data and ideas to
make meaning accessible to
intended audiences in range of
formats.
 selection, use and
presentation of scientific data
and ideas to make meaning
accessible in range of formats.
 presentation of scientific
data or ideas in range of
formats.
 presentation of
scientific data or
ideas.
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