Brad giraud

Name

Terminal Velocity Lab

Introductory Conceptual Physics

During the lab, you will have to split up the data analysis between the members of your
group. Identify who performed the analysis for each of the trials taken in the lab.
Playground
Ball:
1 Coffee Filter:
2 Coffee
Filters:
4 Coffee
Filters:
6 Coffee
Filters:

Marco desantis
Marco desantis

8 Coffee

Brad giraud

Filters:
10 Coffee

Brad giraud

Filters:

Marco desantis

1 Fold:

Tyler hilliard

Marco desantis

2 Folds:

Tyler hilliard

Brad giraud

3 Folds:

Tyler hilliard

DATA TABLES:
Data After finding the terminal velocity for your falling object, record the velocities in
the corresponding charts below. Note: Use the 1 filter velocity for part A and for zero
folds in part B.

Part A Comparing Terminal Velocities

Coffee Filter
Terminal Velocity =

1.101 m/s

Playground Ball
Terminal Velocity =

Part B Effect of Surface Area

# of Folds

Terminal Velocity

0
1
2
3

1.157 m/s
1.101 m/s
2.639 m/s
1.584 m/s

4.389 m/s

Part C Effect of Mass

# of Coffee
Filters

2
4
6
8
10

Terminal Velocity
2.055 m/s
2.190 m/s
2.910 m/s
2.771 m/s
2.876 m/s

Questions & Conclusions

1. Which of the above trials did you perform the data analysis on?
2.Copy your position graph in the space provided.

3. Copy your velocity graph in the space provided.

4. Examine your position graph. Did your coffee filter (or ball) reach terminal velocity? How can you tell by examining
this graph?

Yes, it turned into a straight line.

5. What effect, it any, does the surface area of a falling object have on the terminal velocity? Explain.
If the surface area is flat it can reach its terminal velocity faster than if it were slanted.

6. What effect, it any, does the mass of a falling object have on the terminal velocity? Explain.
The mass has no effect on the terminal velocity.

7. Do any of the terminal velocities from the above charts seem to be incorrect? What might have caused this?
no