Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba

Calamba City, Laguna

School of Engineering & Architecture

April 27, 2022

I. Title: Galileo’s Inclined Plane Experiment

II. Objectives:

1. To verify that the speed of a falling object is increased at a constant rate.

2. To verify how accurate the effect of gravity is on free-falling bodies.
3. To observe the relationships between distance, time, average speed, and acceleration.

III. Materials:

1. Metal ball
2. 1 stick (ball stopper)
3. Inclined plane
4. Blocks and horizontal board
5. Meter scale
6. Stopwatch

IV. Procedures: Inclined plane experiment

1. Place the apparatus in a table, making sure that the inclined plane’s base is at the
horizontal surface.
2. Raise the inclined plane with its respective angle and the ball will be released from
different distances until at the bottom of the inclined plane while simultaneously
measuring the time that it consumed.
3. The steel ball will be rolled down with uniform acceleration and data will be recorded on
the excel leading to the generation of two graphs.
4. As expected from the uniform acceleration, the relationship between the y-vertical axis
(displacement) and the x-horizontal axis (time) is shown to be proportional.
 Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba
Calamba City, Laguna
School of Engineering & Architecture

V. Result: Inclined plane experiment

Observation:
1. As the displacement increases from the smallest to the largest, the velocity increases,
and the final velocity increases as the metal ball approaches the end of the ramp.
2. A metal ball is released from rest and rolls down an inclined plane at a constant speed,
the total distance traveled by the object is proportional to the time squared required for
the travel.

Explanation:
1. The average velocity traveling down the ramp is equal to the displacement divided by
the time, and the final velocity for uniform acceleration will be double the average.

VI. Problems & Solutions: Free-falling bodies sample problem and solution

Problems:
1. Stefhanie drops a pile of roof shingles from the top of a roof located 8.52 meters above
the ground. Determine the time required for the shingles to reach the ground.
2. Edzel throws his mother's crystal vase vertically upwards with an initial velocity of 26.2
m/s. Determine the height to which the vase will rise above its initial height.
3. Jethro is riding the Giant Drop at Great America. If Jethro free falls for 2.60 seconds,
what will be his final velocity and how far will he fall?
4. Hannah dropped a stone into a deep well and is heard to hit the water 3.41 s after being
dropped. Determine the depth of the well.
5. With what speed in miles/hr (1 m/s = 2.23 mi/hr) must an object be thrown to reach a
height of 91.5 m (equivalent to one football field)? Assume negligible air resistance.
 Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba
Calamba City, Laguna
School of Engineering & Architecture

Solutions:
1. Given: vi = 0.0 m/s, d = -8.52 m, a = - 9.8 m/s2

d = vi • t + ½ • a • t^2
-8.52 m = (0 m/s) • (t) + ½ • (-9.8 m/s2) • (t)2
-8.52 m = (0 m) *(t) + (-4.9 m/s2) • (t)2
-8.52 m = (-4.9 m/s2) • (t)2
(-8.52 m)/(-4.9 m/s2) = t2
1.739 s2 = t2
t = 1.32 s

2. Given: vi = 26.2 m/s, vf = 0 m/s, a = -9.8 m/s2

vf^2 = vi^2 + 2 • a • d
(0 m/s)2 = (26.2 m/s)2 + 2 •(-9.8m/s2) • d
0 m2/s2 = 686.44 m2/s2 + (-19.6 m/s2) • d
(-19.6 m/s2) • d = 0 m2/s2 -686.44 m2/s2
(-19.6 m/s2) • d = -686.44 m2/s2
d = (-686.44 m2/s2)/ (-19.6 m/s2)
d = 35.0 m

3. Given: vi = 0 m/s, a = -9.8 m, t = 2.6 s

d = vi • t + ½ • a • t^2
d = (0 m/s) • (2.60 s)+ 0.5 • (-9.8 m/s2) • (2.60 s)2
d = -33.1 m (- sign indicates direction)

vf = vi + a • t
vf = 0 + (-9.8 m/s2)*(2.60 s)
vf = -25.5 m/s (- sign indicates direction)

4. Given: vi = 0 m/s, a = -9.8 m/s2, t = 3.41 s

d = vi • t + ½ • a • t^2
d = (0 m/s) • (3.41 s)+ 0.5 • (-9.8 m/s2) • (3.41 s)2
d = 0 m+ 0.5 • (-9.8 m/s2) • (11.63 s2)
d = -57.0 m (- sign indicates direction)
 Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba
Calamba City, Laguna
School of Engineering & Architecture

5. Given: a = -9.8 m/s2, vf = 0 m/s, d = 91.5 m

vf^2 = vi^2 + 2 • a • d
(0 m/s)2 = vi2 + 2 • (-9.8 m/s2) • (91.5 m)
0 m2/s2 = vi2 - 1793 m2/s2
1793 m2/s2 = vi2
vi = 42.3 m/s

vi = 42.3 m/s • (2.23 mi/hr)/(1 m/s)

vi = 94.4 mi/hr

VII. Conclusion:

A free-falling objects accelerate at the same constant rate.If the metal ball is released
from rest and continues to gain speed at a constant rate as it would a free-falling object or when
rolling down an inclined plane, the total distance traveled is proportional to the time squared
required for that travel.
It was also discovered that the time it took for the metal ball to roll down the entire
length of the inclined plane was equal to twice the time it took for the same metal ball to roll only
a quarter of the distance. In other words, doubling the amount of time the metal ball was rolling
would cause it to travel four times as far.

Submitted by:
Botalon, Stefhanie
Estrada Hanna Mae M.
Ibis, Diane D.
Nagpala, Patrice S.
Narvacan, Kathlene Anne V.
Perez, Edzel R.
Viray, Rei Jethro E.
 Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba
Calamba City, Laguna
School of Engineering & Architecture
References:

Maplesoft. n.d. “Nature Sciences: Physics: Galileo's Inclined Plane Experiment - Maple

Help.” Maplesoft. Accessed April 27, 2022.

https://www.maplesoft.com/support/help/maple/view.aspx?path=MathApps

%2FGalileosInclinedPlaneExperiment.

The Physics Classroom. n.d. “Kinematic Equations and Free Fall.” The Physics

Classroom. Accessed April 27, 2022.

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson-6/Kinematic-Equations-and-

Free-Fall.