Motion

Lab

Directions: Please type your report and submit it to Week 5 Assignment. Include parts A
through F.

Objective: To use skills and understanding of motion to quantify average constant velocity of your
walking speed and to compare your analysis to Google Maps average walking speed.

Part A Measure a flat straight-line distance out in your house, backyard or outside (minimum distance =
3 meters). You will want to walk at a constant velocity to the best of your ability and repeat enough
laps (back and forth) to have walked at least 10 meters per trial. Record your procedure here on the
distance you’ve chosen and how many times you would have had to walk back and forth between this
distance to have reached your chosen distance that is at least 10 meters. NOTE! If you’re walking
outside, be sure to take necessary precautions! E.g. KEEP OFF STREET!

I Walked a 5 meter distance, which requires but one walk back and forth to accomplish a distance of 10
meters.

Part B

Record the time for at least 5 trials in a data table like the one below and calculate
the average.

Trial (#) Time (s)

1 12 seconds

2 10 seconds

3 14 seconds

4 12 seconds

5 11 seconds

Average 11.8 seconds

Part C Use your average time and set distance to calculate your average walking speed.
Show your work.

10 meters/ 11.8 seconds= 0.847 meters/second

Part D Using your average walking speed, provide detailed graphs of the (A) position versus time
and (B) the velocity versus time for 5 seconds. You can use paint, excel copy and paste or w/e tool
required to create these graphs.
Part E Calculate the average walking speed Google Maps
uses by selecting the walking distance between two points
(try to avoid traffic lights). Take a screenshot and copy
and paste it into this part (like the example to the right).
Then show your work for the calculation below (present
answers in the correct SI units).
Google gave a distance of 400 feet as requiring 2 minutes
to traverse on foot. Therefore, Google’s average walking
speed is approximately 400 feet/ 720 seconds= 0.556
feet/ second. In Meters per second, it is 0.556
feet/second* 1 meter/3.28 feet= 0.1695 meters/second

Part F Sketch a position versus time graph for 5 seconds with two lines. One line representing your
average walking speed and another line representing Google’s average walking speed. Describe
graphically and mathematically why one is larger than the other if they are different. If they are too
similar, instead of an explanation, calculate the percent error [ | (expected value – experimental value)
| / expected value] * 100%.
My walking speed is the one with the greater slope. This is owing to the fact that my average speed is
greater than that used my google in its calculations. The line representing google has a smaller slope
because it’s average speed is lesser than mine.