Falling Meteoroid Lab
Name:____________________________
Purpose: To determine the acceleration rate of
falling objects with different surface areas and
masses.
Materials (located at the front of the room):
1 tennis ball
3 pieces of aluminum foil, same size
Stopwatch
Procedure:
1. Ball up one piece of aluminum foil so that it is the same size as the tennis ball.
2. Ball up a second piece of foil so that it is larger than the tennis ball.
3. Ball up a third piece of foil so that it is smaller than the tennis ball.
4. Record the mass of each foil ball and the tennis ball in the data table below.
5. Make your predictions in the space below – which ball(s) will hit the ground fastest?
6. One person will be the dropper, one person will be the timer.
7. Hold the tennis ball over the second story balcony. Be sure you will be dropping the ball from
the same height every time.
8. When the timer is ready, drop the ball and start the stopwatch as soon as the ball is released,
stop the watch as soon as the ball touches the ground – repeat 5 trials for each ball.
Data:
Type of ball
Mass (g)
Prediction (1-4)
Tennis
Small foil ball
Medium foil ball
(same size as tennis ball)
Large foil ball
Distance from second floor:
Predictions: Which ball(s) do you think will hit the ground first? Rank them in order from 1 to 4 (1
being fastest)
Drop Times
Type of
Ball
Time (seconds)
Trial 1
Tennis
Small Foil
Medium
Foil
Large Foil
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Avg.
time
Speed
(m/s)
Acceler
a-tion
(m/s2)