28- Aug- 2014 Free Fall Lab

Free Fall Lab

Objective: To verify the following statement: In the absence of all other external forces except gravity, a falling body will accelerate at 9.8m/(s^2).

Set- Up: 

  The apparatus has a weight at a 1.5m high drop with an electric generator and a strip along the column, seen in (fig 1. - 2), is set up in a fashion so when the weight is released, the generator sends a shock on the strip where the weight is every (1/60)s leaving a distinct mark. From there you have a meter stick and a computer opened to excel to chart your results.

Data Collection:
 Using the strip after a previous lab that used the strip, found the first point and labeled that as our zero or point of origin. We then measured every other mark and calculated its distance in relative to our origin and recorded our measurements on our Excel program. We the found the distance (Δx)between a previous point to the next point on excel using a similar equation as:

Δx= Pn - P(n-1) where n cannot = 0

 As well as mid- interval time and speed with:                                    Figure 1. Side view of the apperatus.

t(mid)= t(n) + (1/120)

V(mid)= Δx/(1/60)

respectively. However, when we graphed our results one being 

Δx during time t and the other is the Mid-Interval Speed over 

time t, as seen in (fig 4.), we noticed that there was either a 

mistake in measurement or by the apparatus and since our 

measurements between time interval 9 through 11, our 2 graphs 

show a drastic change in slope in those time intervals thus showing

that our data is either contaminated or was victim to human error.

Conclusion: 

 Due to our data showing obvious sign of dramatic error, 

we must run this lab once again during next class 

session.

Figure 2. A view of the weight and electric 

generator with the strip along the column.    

Figure 3. Measuring the distinct marks 

from our 0 to record each point.             

Figure 4. Is a picture of our excel results and 2 graphs with similar traits on graphing the Δx during time t and the other is the value of the Mid Interval Speed during time t.

The measurements in question are labeled in red numbers.