GALILEO 1 LAB
NAME ________________________
PERIOD _____ DATE __________
PRE-LAB: USING ONLY YOUR BRAIN
A. Write a short description telling how you can determine whether something is in motion.
B. Write a short description telling how you can determine whether something is in uniform motion. What, specifically,
is uniform about the motion? (Hint: Don’t look for a definition. Try to imagine what could be uniform about the
motion?)
C. List the quantities that you could measure (not calculate) for an object in motion. How could you use those
measurements to determine whether the motion of the object is uniform? (Hint: You will have a meter stick and a
stopwatch.)
PART 1: MARBLE ON THE TABLE
Use the ramp (or a short ruler) only to start the marble rolling across the table. In this part, only consider the
motion of the marble while it is rolling on the table (not on the ramp). Assume there is no friction.
A. On your lab report, draw a “strobe photograph” of the marble as it rolls across the table. That is, imagine taking a
series of photos of the marble at equal time intervals. (Hint: Ignore any friction or irregularities in the table; imagine the
marble rolling across an ideal table and only consider motion on the table not the ramp.)
B. Describe the motion represented by your drawing. Explain your reasoning.
C. Is there some quantity that remains constant during the motion of this marble? What name should you give this
quantity? (Hint: I just loved that movie with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down.)
Galileo 1 Lab (adapted from K. Fairchild)
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D. Predict what a graph of (distance from the end of the ramp) vs (amount of time traveled) for this marble would look
like.
Sketch a graph on your lab report.
E.
Now Perform the Experiment and get data, then graph on graph paper. Record the
measurements (in data table, don’t forget units) that you need in order to be able to draw that graph and check your
prediction. Draw a best fit line on the graph (Hint: should the graph start from 0?)
Data: (make table)
Graph: (on graph paper, label axis, etc.)
F. If your graph is a straight line, calculate the slope of the line (USE THE BEST FIT LINE, not the data points). Show work
and units.
E. What physical meaning does the slope of this graph have (think units)?
H. Write an equation of this line (y = mx + b), then substitute the variables for y and x for your data. Be sure to include
the units for the slope. (Hint: look back at your day one notes)
y
=
m
x
+
b
Physical
variable
Variable
units
Final Equation:
PART 2: MARBLE ON THE RAMP
In this part of the lab, consider the motion of the marble while it is on the inclined ramp. It does not
have to roll on the table at all. Be sure to start the marble from the top of the ramp. Put the ramp in the middle
of an opened book in order to incline it slightly and keep it upright. Assume there is no friction on the ramp.
A. Graph a “strobe photograph” Prediction: On your lab report, draw a “strobe photograph” of the marble as it rolls
down the ramp. Remember that the amount of time between each image should be the same for every interval in your
drawing.
Galileo 1 Lab (adapted from K. Fairchild)
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B. Describe the motion represented by your drawing. Explain your reasoning.
C. Is the speed of this marble constant as it rolls down the ramp? How do you know?
D. Predict what a graph of (distance from the top of the ramp) vs (amount of
time traveled) for this marble would look like. Sketch graph on right.
E. Now get data, then graph. Record the measurements that you need in order to be able to draw that graph and check
your prediction. The graph is distance (y) vs. time (x).
Data
(distance and time)
Graph: (distance vs. time, use graph paper)
This graph is not a straight line, why?
Does it make any sense to calculate a slope for this graph?
F. Make one more graph using the data from part E. This time square the values for your times and make a graph of
distance (y-axis) vs. time2 (x-axis).
Values for the graph:
Galileo 1 Lab (adapted from K. Fairchild)
Graph:
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G. This graph should now be linear so you can calculate the slope. (USE THE BEST FIT LINE, not the data points). Show
work and units.
H. Write an equation of this line (y = mx + b), then substitute the variables for y and x for your data. Be sure to include
the units for the slope.
y
=
m
x
+
b
Physical
variable
Variable
units
Final Equation:
I. Compare and contrast the final equation for Part 1 and Part 2.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Write a short conclusion (3-4 sent). What can be said about the motion in Part 1? Part 2?
Galileo 1 Lab (adapted from K. Fairchild)
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