Experiment (4)

Kinematics Motion and Free falling

Course Number: Physics 315503111 Instructor: ……….……. …..

Credit Hours:1 Instructor: …...………..…….

Name: …………………………………… Date: ………………………..

Partner’s Names: ………………………… Section: ……….…….…...…

Objectives: …………………………………………………………………………….
………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

1- Introduction and Theory:

When an object makes a rectilinear motion within the time ∆t, the object
passes the distance ∆X, then the average velocity of the object within the time ∆t is:
Δx Δx
v= lim , v́= To describe an object’s actual velocity at a fixed point, ∆t
Δt →0 Δt Δt
should be chosen as short as possible. The average velocity will be closer to the actual
velocity if ∆t is short enough. When ∆t is close to 0, the average velocity is
approximate to limitation then the average velocity of the object is
considered as the instantaneous velocity at that point. The uniform acceleration of an:

object for rectilinear motion is considered as in the equation:

One of the important elementary examples of motion under the influence of

gravity is that of the free fall. It is a remarkable fact, first discovered over 300 years
ago by Galileo and others, that objects in free fall motion descend at the same rate,
irrespective of their mass, as long as the effects of air resistance can be neglected.

30
 This means that under free fall all objects have the same constant acceleration,
which in the metric system is 9.8 m/s2 at sea level, directed towards the center of the
earth.

The motion of an object under the influence of gravity near the surface of the
earth has been one of the outstanding problems of physics. The solution that once air
resistance is ignored, all objects near the surface of the earth accelerate uniformly
towards the earth marked the beginning of modern physics. A consequence of this
physical fact is that the acceleration of a projectile is independent of the force that
launches the projectile, but the orbit depends on the exit velocity of the projectile.
Furthermore, it is important to recognize that any freely falling object experiences an
acceleration directed toward the center of the earth equal to the acceleration due to
gravity, so the kinematical equations for constant acceleration can be applied with
replacing (a) by (-g) and can be rewritten as

1
y= y o +v o t− gt 2 1
y= y 0+ v 0 t− g t 2
2 2 , (4-1)

v 2 =v 2o −2 gΔy v 2=v 20−2 g y , (4-2)

v =v o −gt v=v 0 −¿ . (4-3)

2- Proseger:

Part 1: Average velocity and Acceleration.

1. Put two photogates G1 and G2 at the positions of 30 cm and 90 cm on the meter

scale of the air track with equal distance to the middle position 60 cm. Set the distance
between the two photogates as “x”.
2. Mount a glider flag strip. Set the function of the Timer to “Interval Timing S1”.
Put this glider close to the starting positioner (at gate 1) and let it freely slid down (v i
= 0). The Timer will record the time t= the time required for the flag to pass between
the two optical gates.

31
3. Reduce the distance between the two photogates G 1 and G2, repeat the experiment
above and calculate the average velocities individually.
4. Record your data in table (4-1).

Part 2: Instantaneous velocity and Acceleration

1. Put two photogates G1 and G2 at the positions of 30 cm and 90 cm on the meter

scale of the air track with equal distance to the middle position 60 cm. Set the distance
between the two photogates as “x”.
2. Mount a glider flag strip. Set the function of the Timer to “Interval Timing a”. Put
this glider close to the starting positioner (before the gate 1 by few centimeter) and let
it freely slid down. The Timer will record the time tG1= the time required for the flag
to pass through the first optical gate, tG2= the time required for the flag to pass through
the second optical gate, t= the time required for the flag to pass between the two
optical gates.
3. Reduce the distance between the two photogates G1 and G2, repeat the experiment
above and calculate the average velocities individually.
4. Record your data in table (4-2).

Part 3: free falling

1. Adjust the upper and lower platforms so that the upper edge of the lower platform
is in line with the 0 mm line on the scale and the lower edge of the upper platform is
in line with the 100 cm line on the scale.
2. Set the distance (y) between the two platforms to 10 cm and place the large ball
(20 mm in diameter) under the upper platform.
3. Press STOP then press RESET button on the timer to zero the timer and to set the
operation mode, select Start/Stop function on the timer.
4. Press the START button on the timer, the ball should be released and should fall
to hit the lower plate, the timer should stop exactly when the lower plate is struck.
5. Record the time of fall that displayed on the timer.
6. Repeat the same procedures for different vertical distances by increasing 10 cm in
each trial.
7. Tabulate your results below in Table (4-3).

32
8. Repeat the same procedures above for the small ball (15 mm in diameter) and
record your results in Table (4-4).

3- Data Analysis:

Part 1: Average velocity and Acceleration.

1- File the table below (table (4-1).

2- Find acceleration of the glider in this distance use equation (4-2).
3- Dose the acceleration constant? ----------------------

Table (4-1): Average velocity and Acceleration.

Average
Displacemen Acceleration
Time velocity
t xi (cm) (cm/s2)
t (s) xi/ t
(vi=0) =2*(xi / t2)
(cm/s)
60 5.74
40 3.8
20 2.48
10 1.67

Part 2: Instantaneous velocity and Acceleration

1- Fill the table below (table (4-2).

2- Find the instantaneous velocities vi and vf, the average velocity and average
acceleration of the glider for different distances.

Table (4-2): Instantaneous velocity and acceleration

33
 L (flag length) = 1 cm
Averag Instantaneou Instantaneou Average
Time Time Average
e s s velocity
Displacement Time t(G1) t(G2) acceleration
velocity velocity velocity = (Vi+
xi (cm) t (s) (s) (s) a=V/t
xi/ t *10-3
Vi=L/t *10-3
Vf=L/t Vf)/2
(cm/s2)
(cm/s) (cm/s) (cm/s)
60 3.66 117.3 40.48
40 3.164 154.0 52.25
20 1.687 117.8 65.35

Part 3: free falling

1- Fill the table below

Table (4-3): Free falling to calculate the gravity acceleration.

Displacement
Time ti (s) (ti)2 (s2)
yi (cm)

0.409 80
0.356 60
0.293 40
0.213 20

2- Plot yi on y-axis and t2 on x-axis. And line up the points in the graph with the
best straight line.
3- Find the slope of the line -----------------------------, its unit ----------------
4- What is the solpe represent? ---------------------
5- Calculate the percentage error in the free falling accelration
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
6- Fill the table below for the small ball (15 mm in diameter)

Table (4-4): free falling with different ball radius.

Displacement yi Acceleration

Time ti (s)
(cm) (cm/s2)
34