Northeastern University

Lab for Physics 1151 – Sec 05

Report for Experiment 3

Motion in One and Two Dimensions

Please note that this lab report was done based on a virtual lab.

Gabriel Nessim Schloser

Lab Partners: Leonardo Weininger & Alberto Rodriguez
TA: Nicole Branagan

Monday, February 16
Introduction
 The goal of this experiment was to learn and understand how to measure
the displacement of an object, both in one and two dimensional motions. Also,
we analyzed the existing relationships between velocity, acceleration and
displacement. The whole experiment was a recreation of Galileo’s free falling
experiment, only it was executed with much more modern equipment than the
one he had at the time: one air table and pucks, a spark timer, one large sheet of
paper, a wooden block, and a ruler.
The experiment consisted of three investigations. In the first investigation,
one puck was released from the highest point of the air table and it slid on its
own – simulating free fall –; we used the spark timer to mark the dots that the
puck left during its trajectory in order to later calculate the displacement, the
velocity and the acceleration. In the second investigation, the puck was
horizontally pushed which made it have an initial horizontal velocity, and then the
same procedure as in the first investigation was applied. In the last investigation,
we used the data from the past two investigations in order to calculate the
acceleration due to gravity.

Investigation 1 – One-dimensional Acceleration

For this investigation, the air table was elevated on one of its sides with a
wooden block in order to have the puck move under the influence of gravity.
Then, the white sheet of paper (which represented the x and y axes) was placed
on the table, and then the table was connected to a tube that served as air
supply. When the air table was turned on, the puck that was placed at the highest
edge started moving along the sheet of paper leaving shock dots in its trajectory
thanks to the spark timer. We used these marks to determine the velocity and
acceleration of the puck.
∆y
To determine the velocity we used the following equation: v= , where
2 ∆t
∆ y represented the distance between two non-consecutive dots with one dot in
between (the error in ∆ y - δ ∆ y – was the smallest increment in the utility of
measure, which was 0.05cm for the ruler used. The percent error was found
δ∆ y
using this equation: ∗100 ); and ∆ t represented the time interval between
∆y
dots with a constant value of 0.1 seconds (the error in time can be neglected
because it is minimal). To determine the error in velocity we used this equation:
 δ ∆ y 2 δ ∆ t 2 , and to determine the percent error, this equation:

δ∆v
√
δv= (
∆y
) +(
∆t
)

∗100.
∆v
To determine the acceleration, we plotted velocity vs. time and found the
slope of the pendent which represents the acceleration.
A summary of all the data recorded can be found below, as well as a plot
of Velocity vs. Time in order to better understand the relationship between them.

Point Total Δy Error in Velocity

Δt(s) % error Error velocity
s time (s) (cm) y(cm) (cm/s)
0,2 0.1 0.1 5.40 0.05 0.0092559 27 0.2557655
1,3 0.1 0.2 6.55 0.05 0.007634 32.75 0.258438
2,4 0.1 0.3 7.65 0.05 0.006536 38.25 0.2614426
3,5 0.1 0.4 8.70 0.05 0.005747 43.5 0.2647054
4,6 0.1 0.5 9.80 0.05 0.005102 49 0.2685218
5,7 0.1 0.6 10.80 0.05 0.00463 54 0.2723306
6,8 0.1 0.7 11.85 0.05 0.004219 59.25 0.276627

Table 1.1 – Measurements and calculations for Investigation 1

Slope of Graph
53.571
(cm/s^2)
Error in Graph 35.083

h (cm) 3.0
δh (cm) 0.1

d (cm) 56.8
δd (cm) 0.3

sin(theta) 0.0516

Table 1.2 – Relevant data for Investigation 1

 Veclocity vs. Time
70
60
Velocity (cm/s)

50 f(x) = 53.57 x + 21.96

40
30 Veclocity vs.
20 Time
10
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Time(s)

Figure 1.1 – Plot of Velocity vs. Time for Investigation 1

Note that the error bars are not visible because they are very small.

The slope in Figure 1.1 represents the acceleration of the puck. The
equation shown in the graph indicates a slope of 53.571 which means that the
acceleration of the puck resulted in 53.571cm/s^2.

Investigation 2 – Two-dimensional Motion with Initial Horizontal Velocity

In this investigation, the experimental set-up was exactly the same as in

the first investigation, but in this one we looked at motion in two dimensions. Now
the puck received a push that was parallel to the horizontal surface, which meant
that the puck had an initial velocity in the x-axis. As in the first investigation, the
puck left dots covering its trajectory, but instead of leaving a straight line, it left a
curved line. Because now we had a curved line, in order to calculate the
distance, we had to measure the x and y components for each dot.
A summary of all the data collected can be found below, as well as four
different plots that will help to understand and analyze the experiment and the
relationships between the different components. Note that all equations used for
this investigation are the same ones as in the first investigation.

Total time Error in Error in

Points Δt(s) Δx (cm) Δy (cm) % error in x % error in y
(s) x(cm) y(cm)
0,2 0.1 0.1 6.1 0.1 4 0.1 0.0163 0.025
1,3 0.1 0.2 6.4 0.1 4.8 0.1 0.0155 0.0208
2,4 0.1 0.3 6.3 0.1 6.1 0.1 0.0157 0.0164
3,5 0.1 0.4 6.3 0.1 7.2 0.1 0.016 0.01389
4,6 0.1 0.5 6.1 0.1 8.2 0.1 0.0164 0.0122
5,7 0.1 0.6 6.1 0.1 9.3 0.1 0.0164 0.011
6,8 0.1 0.7 6.0 0.1 10.4 0.1 0.0167 0.009

Table 2.1 – Measurements and calculations for Investigation 2

Points Vx(cm/s) Error Vx Vy (cm/s) Error Vy

0,2 30.6 0.0165 20 0.0251
1,3 32.2 0.0157 24 0.0209
2,4 31.7 0.0159 30.5 0.0165
3,5 31.25 0.0161 36 0.0140
4,6 30.55 0.0165 41 0.0124
5,7 30.45 0.0165 46.5 0.0109
6,8 29.9 0.0168 52 0.0098
Table 2.2 – More measurements and calculations for Investigation 2

Slope of Vx Graph
-2.41094
(cm/s^2)
Error in Vx Graph 0.456686
Slope of Vy Graph
54.1071
(cm/s^2)
Error in Vy Graph 10.2253
   
h (cm) 3.0
δh (cm) 0.1
d (cm) 56.8
δd (cm) 0.3
   
sin(theta) 0.0516
   
acceleration (m/s^2) 0.5417
   
g (m/s^2) 0.095255677
Table 2.3 – Relevant data for Investigation 2
 Δx (cm) vs. Time(s)
6.5

6.4

6.3

6.2
Δx (cm)
x(cm)

6.1
Linear (Δx (cm))
6

5.9

5.8

5.7
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Time(s)

Figure 2.1 – Plot of x vs. Time for Investigation 2

Note that the error bars are not visible because they are very small

Δy (cm) vs. Time(s)

12

10

Δy (cm)
y(cm)

6
Linear (Δy (cm))

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Time(s)

Figure 2.2 – Plot of x vs. Time for Investigation 2

Figure 2.3 – Plot of Vx vs. Time for Investigation 2
 Vx(cm/s) vs. Time(s)
32.5

32

31.5 f(x) = − 2.41 x + 31.91

31
Vx(cm/s)
Vx(cm/s)

30.5 Linear (Vx(cm/s))

Linear (Vx(cm/s))
30

29.5

29

28.5
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Time(s)

Vy(cm/s) vs. Time(s)

60

50 f(x) = 54.11 x + 14.07

40
Vy (cm/s)
Vy(cm/s)

30 Linear (Vy (cm/s))

Linear (Vy (cm/s))
20

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Time(s)

Figure 2.4 – Plot of Vy vs. Time for Investigation 2

Note that the error bars are not visible because they are very small
 The graph of velocity with respect to the x-axis vs. time (Figure 2.3) should
have provided a horizontal linear plot because it was expected that the velocity
was constant in the x direction as time passed; this wasn’t the case because of
human error calculations. We also obtained a slope of -2.4, which is our closest
approximation to 0 – which is what it should have been because there shouldn’t
be acceleration in the horizontal direction. According to Newtown’s First Law of
Motion an object that doesn’t experience friction or external forces, will move at
constant velocity forever.
The graph of velocity with respect to the y-axis vs. time (Figure 2.4)
resulted in an ascending line which means that the velocity was increasing due to
the horizontal push we gave to the puck. We can determine that the puck has a
constant acceleration in the y-axis.

Investigation 3

In this investigation we calculated the acceleration due to gravity, using

the results from Investigation 1 and Investigation 2, in the following way:

Figure 3.1 – Diagram of the set-up for Investigation 3

F=m∗g∗sin ( 2.96 )
F=0.506∗m
F=m∗a
0.506∗m=m∗a
a=0.506 m/ s2

Conclusion

As stated in the Introduction, the goal of this experiment was to learn and
understand how to measure the displacement of an object (both in one and two
dimensional motions) and the existing relationships between velocity,
acceleration and displacement. In Investigation 1 we found that the puck had an
acceleration of 53.571cm/s^2 – we used the IPL calculator to determine the error
in acceleration and found that it was minimal enough to ignore (it is so small that
it is not visible on the graph of velocity vs. time). In Investigation 2 we found the
acceleration to be 54.107cm/s^2, we obtained this result from the slope of the
graph that plotted Vy vs. time which represented the whole acceleration since Vx
was not supposed to have any acceleration. Although the accelerations obtained
in Investigations 1 and 2 are relatively close to each other, they are not the same
due to errors in the data collection process, and in calculations. Finally, in
Investigation 3 we found that the acceleration due to gravity was 0 .506 m/ s2.
We can conclude that both the vertical and horizontal accelerations are
independent from each other; when we have free fall motion the acceleration will
be constant because of gravity, but in a horizontal motion there will not be any
acceleration.

Questions

1. Because this was an online lab, we couldn’t calculate the total time that it
took the puck to reach the bottom of the air table for the first two
Investigations. But by looking at the data, we can determine that for both
investigations, the puck will reach the bottom of the table at the same
time. Both investigations had the same height and were affected by the
same acceleration; there was no direct implication by the push provided in
the second investigation.
2. One could argue that the accelerations in Investigation 1 and 2 are equal
between the uncertainties because the difference between them is
minimal. For Investigation 1 we obtained 53.571cm/s^2 and for
Investigation 2 54.107cm/s^2. As mentioned before in the report, the
 difference between them can be attributed to human and calculation
errors.
3. The meaning of the intercept of the line with the v-axis is the initial state of
the velocity. This value is expected to be as close as possible to the origin
given that the puck started the motion at rest.

References

 Northeastern University, Introductory Physics Lab, Error Calculator:

http://www.northeastern.edu/physics/undergraduate/introductory-physics-
lab/error-calculator/
 O.Batishchev and A.Hyde, Introductory Physics Laboratory, Hayden-
McNeil, 2015.