Lab Skills Practice Lab

Conceptual Physics
September
Parts of a Lab
Problem
Purpose
Hypothesis
Experiment
Procedure
Data
Analysis
Calculations
Graphs
Conclusion
Problem / Purpose
How does the steepness of a ramp affect how
fast an object rolling off it moves across the
table?

The purpose of this lab is to determine
Hypothesis
State a clear and precise educated guess in
attempting to answer the problem.


*remember, a hypothesis must be testable
Procedure
Follow instructions
precisely.

Cutting corners will
lead directly to errors
in your data.
Procedure
1. Lay the ruler flat on the table

2. At the bottom of the ruler mark a start line then mark
a finish line 1 meter away.

3. Prop up the other end of the ruler by placing 1 book
underneath it.

4. Release the marble and time how long it takes for the
marble to travel from the start line to the finish line.
Repeat for 3 trials.

5. Place another book under the ruler and repeat step 4.
Procedure (cont.)

6. Continue until you have stacked 5 books under the
ruler.

7. Calculate average time for each level.

8. Calculate the rate of the marble for each level.

9. Graph avg. speed vs. # of books.

10. Communicate your results in a conclusion.
The Set Up (Side View)
Con. Physics
Con. Physics
Con. Physics
1 meter
Start Line
Finish Line
The Set Up (Top View)
S
t
a
r
t

F
i
n
i
s
h

1 meter
Ruler Textbooks
Data
This information is
collected and recorded
during the experiment.

What are some ways of
collecting data?
Observation
Measurement

Data Table
Height Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
1 Book
2 Books
3 Books
4 Books
5 Books
Time (s)
Calculations
Where data is analyzed
using mathematical
operations

Show all work for each
calculation!

Separate from data
Calculations
Average Time = sum of the trials / # of trials

Average Speed = distance / time

Include all 4 steps
Identify the unknown
Equation
Substitution / Work
Answer with units and circled

Calculation Table
Height Avg. Time (s) Avg. Rate
(m/s)
1 Book
2 Books
3 Books
4 Books
5 Books
Graphing
Illustrates a trend or
relationship

Includes important
graph parts
Important Graph Parts:
(Place this info on the last page of your journal.)
Title: in the form Y vs. X
Labeled axes: with variable and unit
Use a SMOOTH line or curve: Not Dot to Dot
Correct and Accurate Scale
Adequate Size: fills at least of the paper
Key: Only when graphing more than 1 thing
Multiple Colors: Again only when graphing multiple
things

Graphing Relationships
Try to identify a relationship

Direct Relationship:
As one quantity increases so does the other
As one quantity decreases so does the other

Inverse Relationship:
As one quantity increases the other decreases
As one quantity decreases the other increases


What type of relationship do you see here?
Dates vs. Garlic Eaten
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Garlic (cloves)
D
a
t
e
s
Pounds Gained vs. Donuts Eaten
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1 2 3 4 5 6
Donuts Eaten (dozens of donuts)
P
o
u
n
d
s

G
a
i
n
e
d

(
l
b
s
.
)
What type of relationship do you see here?
Graph
# of books
A
v
g
.

S
p
e
e
d

(
m
/
s
)

Conclusion
Explains your thoughts
concerning the problem
experimented with.

States your level of
understanding concerning
the topic.
Parts of a conclusion
(Place this info on the last page of your journal.)
Identify and restate the purpose.
Evaluate your hypothesis:
Was it supported by the data or unsupported?
Never state that you were correct or incorrect!
Briefly discuss your procedure.
Identify errors and suggest corrections
Never use human error! Be specific!
Make a Concluding Statement
With support from your data, calculations, and graph
Suggestions for future study.
IYJ
Critique the following conclusion:
The purpose of this lab was to determine how the speed of an
object is affected by the height of the ramp off of which it rolls.
I thought the steeper the ramp the faster the sphere would roll.
My hypothesis for this lab was correct. I collected data by
measuring the time it took a sphere to roll 1m across a flat table
after rolling off an elevated ramp. The ramp was then elevated
by a height of 1 book up to a height of 5 books. Next, I
constructed a graph that shows how the height of the ramp
affects the speed of the ball. Lastly, I learned that finding the
speed of a ball rolling down a ramp is fun.

Conclusion
Use a writing guide or the checklist at the back
of your journal to write the conclusion.

Be sure to reference your calculations and
graphs!