Free Falling Bodies - Lab Report Summary
Objectives
- Measure the acceleration of an object due to gravity.
- Compare the experimental value of g to the theoretical value.
Materials and Equipment
- Meter stick
- Metal sphere
- Tennis ball
- Stopwatch
Theory
- Free-fall: Object's motion under gravity alone.
- Acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s^2.
- All objects in free fall experience the same acceleration regardless of mass (Galileo).
Procedures
- Assign fixed heights (e.g., 1.5 m, 2 m, 2.5 m).
- Record the time for the metal sphere to fall for three trials per height.
- Calculate the experimental g using the formula: g = \frac{2h}{t^2}.
- Compute the percent error.
- Repeat steps with a tennis ball.
Calculations
- Calculate average time for each height.
- Calculate g for each height using g = \frac{2h}{t^2}.
- Determine amount of error: \text{Amount of Error} = |\text{Average } g - \text{True } g|
- Calculate percentage error: \text{Percentage Error} = \frac{{\text{Average } g - \text{True } g}}{{\text{True } g}} \times 100
Questions
- Value of g vs Height: Variations in calculated g values occurred with increased height due to inconsistent time measurements; accuracy and consistency are important.
- Factors Affecting Discrepancy: Air resistance, human error in timing, instrument limitations, object shape, and environmental changes.
- Effect of Altitude: Increased altitude slightly reduces g due to the inverse square law, but it's negligible at typical heights.
- Free Fall Definition: Motion solely under gravity, with constant downward acceleration, differing from other motions due to the absence of other forces like air resistance.