Michael Musillo 108057490 Anders & Jaren, Table 7 Projectile Motion, Lab #1 9/20/11

In order to learn about the path and relations a mass would take during a two dimensional flight, we launched a steel ball horizontally from five different and measured its horizontal distance where it landed on the floor. We learned the relationships between the height, speed of takeoff, time of flight, and acceleration can all be derived from the equation X=Xo+Vot+1/2at^2. We also learned to calculate the acceleration due to gravity.

During this lab, my lab partners and I noted a few observations about what happened. We noticed that as we dropped the ball from a higher position, the further from the ramp it travelled. This observation is supported by our data because the greatest velocity value occurred when the ball travelled the farthest.

While performing this experiment, my lab partners and I noted some problems that may or may not have caused errors within the calculations and data we collected. Firstly, we noted that when launching the ball, my lab partners or I could have accidentally applied a force, causing the initial velocity to be higher than it ought to be.

Next, because we assumed no air friction, our calculated acceleration due to gravity helped throw it off.

My experimental data points agree with the theoretical line of beset fit. My final calculated gravitational acceleration was equal to 12.14 m/s^2. My lab group was not on fully accurate, since gravitational acceleration is 9.8 m/s^2, but our calculated number is close. To get the g value, we had to find "k" which is related to g through the equation k=(2h/g)^1/2 and by solving for g, we get g=2h/k^2. We calculate k by finding the slope of Length/Velocity. After obtaining that number, it is simply plugged into the g= equation to reach our 12.14m/s^2 acceleration. The reason why our value was wrong may have had to do with the previous calculations in finding Vox. Another factor was that there is a percent error for Deff, the diameter of the steel ball, and Vox, the velocity of the steel ball; 2mm and cm/s^2 respectively. There could have also been an error as we converted numbers from millimeters, to centimeters, to meters and so on.