Falling Bodies and Terminal Velocity

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

Pre-Lab Checklist

1. In your own words, describe the situation to be studied.

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

• m₁ & m₂ =
• D₁ & D₂ =

3. List the quantities which will be calculated.These things will be calculated using the line and parabola fits producedusing RNGRDAVE.

• a₁ & a₂ =
• v_term,1 through v_term,4 =
• d₁ through d₄ =

4. List any graphs you will need to create in your analysis of theexperiments.

Experiment Notes

PART A.

1. It takes a bit of practice to release the ball so that it bounces severaltimes within the beam of the ranger. If you are having troubles with this,talk to your TA.
   
2. Remember that the kinematic equations describe the position versus timerelationship for motion at a constant acceleration as: x_f=x_o+v_ot+0.5at²Compare this to the parabolic fit of one bounce on the x vs. tplot of your data to calculate the acceleration of the ball during that bounce.
   
3. Remember that the kinematic equations describe the velocity versus timerelationship for motion at a constant acceleration as: v_f=v_o+atCompare this to the line fit of one bounce on the v vs. t plot ofyour data to calculate the acceleration of the ball during that bounce.
4. Due to time considerations, omit Procedure #6 and use the following datatable rather than the one given in the lab manual.

   .

   Table 1. Falling balls.

   Ball #	Graph	Fit Equation	Acceleration (m/s2)
   1	x vs. t
   1	v vs. t
   2	x vs. t
   2	v vs. t

   .
   

PART B.

1. Be very careful in the release of the coffee filters. If you pull yourhands away too quickly, they will generate enough of a breeze that the filterswill develop a significant wobble as they fall. The more cleanly you canrelease the filters, the better the data set will be.
2. Don't release the filters until after you hear the ranger begin to clickand you see a horizontal line appear on the screen. This horizontal section ofthe data will mark the position of the filters before their release.
3. When making your parabolic fit of the data using RNGRDAVE, put the threecursors down near the beginning of the motion to see clearly the transition from accelerated motion to motion at terminal velocity.
4. When making the line fit of the data to find the terminal velocity, useonly that data at the of the end of the run where the filters are falling at aconstant speed.
   
   

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   Analysis Notes

   1. Your results section should include the average acceleration for each ofthe two balls and the terminal velocities for each of the four sets of coffeefilters.

   2. Compare the accelerations of the two balls. Does the diameter of theball affect the measured acceleration of the motion? Explain why you thinkthis is so.

   3. Did the number of filters affect how far the filters fell before reachingterminal velocity? Explain why you think this is so.

   4. Did the number of filters affect the terminal velocity reached? Explainwhy you think this is so.
   
   

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   Grading Breakdown

   Section
   Purpose	1
   Results	6
   Calculations	3
   Analysis	10

   
   
   

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