acceleration due to gravity lab report discussion

ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY LAB REPORT DISCUSSION TRIAL

Using the same incline as before, the time it took the car to travel 50 cm was also measured.

Additionally, the car was weighed and the mass was determined to be 0.1896 kg. Since vf=distancetime, the final velocity at 50.0 cm was found to be 0.8561151079 m/s.

ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY LAB REPORT DISCUSSION TRIAL

Table 7.1 – Time for Flag to Pass at 50 cm Trial Using this incline, the time it took the flag, which rested on top of the car and had a width of 11.90 mm, to pass through the photogate located 50 cm from the starting point was measured. h is known to be 66.64 mm and d is known to be 1000 mm, so θ can be calculated to be 3.935877056°. Since the block forms a 90° angle, sinθ= hd. The angle of the incline, θ, can be determined since the height of the block, h, and the distance from the block to the support, d, are both known. D is the distance between the photogates, h is the height of the block, and d is the distance between the block and the air track’s support. This data was graphed using Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and the acceleration due to gravity was determined from the slope of the graph and used to calculate the percent error.ĭiagram 7.1 – Diagram of the testing apparatus. The second was decided to be more accurate and was used to calculate the Net Force acting on the car and the force of gravity acting on the object. With this information, the acceleration of the car was found using two different methods: one utilizing the change in velocity and the change in time, and the other utilizing the change in velocity and the change in position. Knowing the distance the flag traveled (width of flag) and the time it took, the final velocity was calculated. Using a vernier caliper, the width of the flag was also measured. Stopwatch mode, the time it took the flag to completely pass through the beam of the gate was determined. Using one photogate placed 50 cm from the starting point and a timer in The next variable that needed to be solved for was the final velocity of the car after travelling 50 cm. The mass of the car was also taken and recorded for later use.

Knowing these, the angle of the incline was calculated. This was found by measuring the height of the block which rested under one of the air track supports and the distance between the block and the other air track support using a vernier caliper. The first variable that had to be determined experimentally was the angle of the incline, θ. Methods The air track apparatus was set up as in Diagram 7.1.

The goal of this experiment is to use this fact in order to experimentally determine the force of gravity that acts on objects of varying mass as they slide down an inclined plane and calculate the acceleration due to gravity by plotting Fg against the masses of the objects. However, due to the large mass and close proximity of earth, the force of gravity that the earth exerts on all objects which are on the planet is large enough to be measured or calculated. For most every object in the universe, this force is negligible because of the vastness of space.

The magnitude of that force is dependent on the mass of the two objects and the distance between them. Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation, F=Gm1m2r2, tells us that all objects in the universe exert an attractive force on one another. The first mathematical explanation of gravity was given by Sir Issac in The Principia, published in 1687. Through several experiments including dropping balls off the Tower of Pisa and later rolling balls down and inclined plane, Galileo theorized that gravity accelerates all objects at a constant rate, regardless of their mass. Introduction Gravity is the term used to describe a phenomena first observed and theorized Aristotle and Galileo. On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this report. Clyde Smith, Physics 101 Laboratory 20 October 2010 Determining the Force of Gravity Tyler Harvey Partners: Gabriel Moore and Christopher Hoffmanĭr.

Acceleration due to gravity lab report discussion