One Dimensional Kinematics

• Pre-Lab Checklist
• Experiment Notes: Things to keep in mind while performingthe experiment.
• Analysis Notes: Questions to answer in your analysis of theexperiment.
• Grading Breakdown
• Return to Physics Lab home page.

Pre-Lab Checklist

1. Describe the situation to be studied in this experiment.

In Part A of the experiment we will be using an ultrasonic range finderto study the graphical representations of our own motions as we walk toward andaway from the ranger at different speeds and directions. In Part B, an air cart is accelerated down an inclined air track. We will study the motion of the air cart for two different incline angles and then compare the two resulting accelerations.

2. List and define each of the parameters to be measured directly.

Part A of the experiment is purely qualitative and asks for verbaldescriptions rather than numerical data.

Part B

• h = the thickness of the riser block. We will need to measurethe thickness for two different orientations of the block.
• D = the distance between the legs of the air track

3. List and define any quantities that will be calculated.

Again, in Part A of the experiment we will be giving verbal descriptionsand so no calculations are necessary.

Part B

• Theta = the angle between the slope and the horizontal
• v_o = the initial instantaneous velocity of thecart
• a = the acceleration of the cart
• g = the acceleration of gravity

4. List any graphs that will be made during the analysis.

We are asked to print our position versus time graphs for the air cartmoving down the inclined air track for both of the incline angles.

Experiment Notes

Part A

1. Use the Set Ranger Parameters option in the menu to choose 500 datapoints and a pulse rate of 45 Hz. This will allow you plenty of time to movearound in front of the ranger and show each of the situations listed:

• motion toward the ranger at constant speed
• motion away from the ranger at constant speed
• motion with increasing speed
• motion with decreasing speed
• no motion, the person remains at the same position

2. Be as thorough as possible in your descriptions of the graph for each ofthe situations listed above. It might be a good idea to sketch the graphshown on the screen or to save your data andthen use a spreadsheet program to graph the position versus time graph. Youcould then label each section of the graph to show how each section representsthe motions listed.

Part B

1. Make sure that the track is level and that the cart is low friction.

2. Be careful to aim the ranger directly along the air track. Also, be sureto mount the ranger high enough that the motion of the air blowing up from theair track will not seriously effect the data input of the ranger. It shouldalso be low enough that it can clearly see the air cart move down the entirelength of the track.

3. Always release the cart from the same place and in the same manner. Tryto just release the cart without giving it a push.

4. Use the following data and calculation tables for this experiment.

.

Data Table for Kinematics in One Dimension.

Parameter	Measurement
D
h1
line fit #1
h2
line fit #2

.

Calculation Table for Kinematics in One Dimension.

Parameter	Angle #1	Angle #2
THETA
a
g
% dif.

Analysis Notes

1. Your results section should include your values of v_o1,v_o2, a₁, a₂, and the twovalues you calculated for g.

2. Describe the shapes of the two position versus time graphs. Compare themto the shapes of the graphs of your own motion from Part A. What does theshape of the graph say about the motion of the cart?

3. Describe any changes in the motion of the cart that resulted fromchanging the incline angle.

4. Discuss the methods you used to obtain your values of the initialvelocities and the accelerations of the air carts. Also explain how you usedthe acceleration of the cart on the incline to calculate the acceleration ofgravity.

5. Calculate the percent difference between your two values of g. Why do you think the values are different?

6. Caluclate the percent errors between your two calculated values of g and the accepted value of g = 9.8 m/s².

Grading Breakdown