I.

INTRODUCTION

In the following experiment, we are aiming to collect data to prove the hypothesis that
terminal velocity and mass are linearly proportional for objects of the same surface
area​. The maximum velocity of an object free-falling in air is it’s terminal velocity. The two
forces acting on a free-falling object are the gravity and the drag force caused by the air
resistance. These two forces point in opposite directions, so the terminal velocity is reached
when the force of gravity and the drag force are equal, making the acceleration zero and the
velocity constant. The terminal velocity is affected by

v term = √2mg/CρA
II. METHOD

The experiment equipment consisted of a camera, a clamp,

muffin cases, a 180cm ruler and a chair to stand on.
First, we stabilised the ruler against a whiteboard and
measured one meter from where it was stabilized to below the
board. Then we set up the camera so the entire ruler was in
frame. One of us stood on a chair next to the ruler and released
the muffin cases form over their head. We repeated this three
times per mass and increased the mass by half a muffin case
(0.2g) each interval.
The chair was used to give each mass more air time so it could
reach its terminal velocity while it was still a significant distance
from the ground to allow for a more accurate terminal velocity
measurement.
We then took the footage and analysed it using a video
analysis software called Tracker. This allowed us to track the
object’s fall frame by frame and get the needed data.

III. RESULTS

Object’s Mass: 0.2 g

Frame of observation: 1 m
Number of trials per mass: 3

Experimental Results

Trial 1 (m/s) Trial 2 (m/s) Trial 3 (m/s) Average

Terminal
velocity (m/s)

One case -1.36 -1.33589 -1.34668 -1.34752

One and a -1.718 -1.89571 -1.6785 -1.76407

half cases
 Two cases -1.98985 -1.984 -1.86929 -1.94771

Two and a -2.18217 -2.10268 -2.123 -2.13595

half cases

Three cases -2.37306 -2.51 -2.44741 -2.32349

Three and a -2.49 -2.56 -2.56 -2.56

half cases

DISCUSSION

Our original method for collecting the data was to drop the muffin case from the top of the
ruler (1.8 meters) and measure from there. We made trials with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 muffin
cases. Every muffin case has a mass of 0.4 grams.
The trials using this method were not always successful. In fact, they became more
inaccurate as we increased the number of muffin cases dropped (mass).
The following data was collected through this method.

Average terminal velocities (1.00 m height)

1 cupcake case (0.4 g) = -1.3 m/s

2 cupcake cases (0.8 g) = -1.77 m/s
3 cupcake cases (1.2 g) = -2.37 m/s
4 cupcake cases (1.6 g) = -2.67 m/s
5 cupcake cases (2 g) = -2.86 m/s
7 cupcake cases (2.8 g) = -3.38 m/s
10 cupcake cases (4 g) = -4.04 m/s

After realizing that the experiment could be improved, we re-did the experiment. The
changes made were:

- The point where we released the muffin cases was above the highest point of the
metre ruler. This was so that when the case goes into the region we were measuring,
it would already be falling at terminal velocity and less of the acceleration.
- The number of muffin cases we used and the increments it went up in. Instead of
going up in whole muffin cases, we went up in half muffin cases. We went from one
muffin case to one and a half muffin case, all the way up to three and a half muffin
cases. We used a lower number of muffin cases because before when we got up to
five or six muffin cases, we wouldn’t see the terminal velocity using the app Tracker
since it’d still be accelerating.

Using the new method:

Average Terminal Velocities (with 1.00m height)

1 cupcake cases = -1.34752 m/s

1 and a half cupcakes case = -1.76407 m/s
2 cupcake cases = -1.94771 m/s
2 and a half cupcake cases= -2.13595 m/s
3 cupcake cases= -2.32349 m/s
3 and a half cupcake cases = -2.53667 m/s

Although our first results don’t vary much with the last
results, the second method was significantly more
appropriate as we could clearly see in tracker that the
velocity reached in the last frames of the object’s trajectory
was close to constant.

The data shows that the velocity didn’t fluctuate a significant amount which confirms that the
object did reach terminal velocity.

However, from the collected data we could see that the relationship between the terminal
velocity and the object’s mass was not linear. We can appreciate this more clearly in the
mass vs. terminal velocity graph.
(Fig.2)
V. CONCLUSION

Our hypothesis states that an object’s terminal velocity is proportional to it’s mass. This
means if we double the object’s mass we would expect the terminal velocity to double as
well.

Experimental results

1 cupcake cases = ​-1.34752 m/s (1)

1 and a half cupcakes case = ​-1.76407 m/s
2 cupcake cases = ​-1.94771 m/s
2 and a half cupcake cases= ​-2.13595 m/s
3 cupcake cases= ​-2.32349 m/s
3 and a half cupcake cases = ​-2.53667 m/s

Expected results

1 cupcake cases = (-1.34752 m/s)(1) = ​-1.34752 m/s

1 and a half cupcakes case = (-1.34752 m/s)(1.5) = ​-2.02128 m/s
2 cupcake cases = (-1.34752 m/s) (2) = ​-2.69504 m/s
2 and a half cupcake cases= (-1.34752 m/s)(2.5) = ​-3.3688 m/s
3 cupcake cases= (-1.34752 m/s)(3) = ​-4.04256 m/s
3 and a half cupcake cases = (-1.34752 m/s)(3.5) = ​-4.71632 m/s

After computing the expected results based on our hypothesis and comparing them with the
experimental results we could see they don’t match. We then referred back to the terminal
velocity formula ( v term = √2mg/CρA ) which shows the actual relationship between the
terminal velocity and the mass of the object.

From this we could determine that this hypothesis does not hold and while the object’s mass
clearly plays a big role in it’s terminal velocity, there are other important factors to consider
such as the drag coefficient, the object’s surface area, the density of the fluid (air in this
case) and the acceleration due to gravity.

Author contribution statement

Francisca Arancibia - Collecting data through tracker and report writing.

Emilia Hargreaves - Experiment and report writing.
Sanele Peto - Experiment and collecting data through tracker.