University of the East - Caloocan

College of Engineering
NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory
S.Y 2022-2023

NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory

Activity 3.2

Submitted By:
Group 1
Leader: Garcia, Abigail Joyce
Assistant Leaders: Laab, Jim Perry
Ucol, Alexandra Caron
Members:
Albarillo, Alfonso Jimuel
Claridad, Kyle
Fajardo, James Kevin
Macasias, Rhain Jhanna
Non, Gerry
Policarpio, Katrina
Remollino, Mickylla

Submitted to:
Dr. Dante Espino Garrido
NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

GROUP 1 MEMBER'S E-SIGNATURE

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page 1

Group Members’ E-Signature 2

Free Fall and the Kinematic Equations 4-7

Four Kinematic Equations 4

Problem Solving Strategy 4

Analyzing Strictly Falling Motions 4-5

Analyzing Up and Down Motion 5

Examples 6-7

Free Fall Motion Ball Experiment 7-8

9-11
The Acceleration Due To Gravity Free
Fall Method

Rectilinear Motion: Experiment No.3 12-15

Questions/Problems 13-15

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

FREE FALL AND THE KINEMATIC EQUATIONS

Four Kinematic Equations:

The four kinematic equations are a set of equations that describe the motion of an
object with constant acceleration.
1 2
1. 𝑑 = 𝑣𝑜 ⋅ 𝑡 + 2
⋅𝑎⋅𝑡

d: displacement
2 2
2. 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 2 ⋅ 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑑 a: acceleration

t: time
3. 𝑑 = (𝑣 + 𝑣 ) / 2 ⋅ 𝑡 𝑣𝑂: original velocity
𝑜 𝑓

4. 𝑣 = 𝑣 + 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑡 𝑣𝑓: final velocity

𝑓 𝑜

➔ Displacement represents the overall change in position of the moving object.

➔ Acceleration is defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity.
➔ Time is the change, or the interval over which change occurs.
➔ Original velocity refers to the velocity at which the motion starts.
➔ Final velocity measures the speed and direction of a moving body after it has
reached its maximum acceleration.

Problem-Solving Strategy:
When solving any physics problem it's often helpful to have an effective strategy or
approach to the problem.
1. Identify known values of 3 variables. Write down; relate to the symbols.
2. Identify the unknown. Write in symbol form.
3. Find the kinematic equation. Write down.
4. Substitute known values into the equation.
5. Solve for the unknown.

Analyzing Strictly Falling Motions:

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

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● Acceleration is 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠 , down.
● Velocity changes by − 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 each 1.0 second of motion.
● Original velocity (𝑣𝑜) is often 0 𝑚/𝑠 (if dropped from rest or released).

➔ When an object's released from rest the original velocity is zero.

● Falling time can often be calculated with:
1 2
𝑑 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡

● Distance fallen can often be calculated with

1 2
𝑑 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡

● Final speed can often be calculated with

2 2
𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 𝑎𝑡 OR 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 2𝑎𝑑

Analyzing Up and Down Motion:

The up-and-down motion or the objects thrown from ground level or close to the
ground travel upwards to a high point and then travel back downwards to the original
position or to the ground below the original position.
2
● Acceleration is 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠 , down.
● Velocity changes by − 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 each second.
● The velocity at the highest point is 0 𝑚/𝑠.
➔ When the ball travels upwards or whatever the object is and it reaches its peak
position at that position the velocity of the object is momentarily 0 𝑚/𝑠.
● Any two positions that are at the same height have the same speed.
➔ At any two positions that are at the same height, the speeds of the object are the
same; the difference is that the velocity is positive on the way up and negative on the
way down, but they say they have the same velocity magnitude.
𝑣𝑜
● The time to rise to the peak can be calculated as 𝑡𝑢𝑝 = 9.8

➔ If we use a kinematic equation, we can find the time it takes to get up to the peak,
which is just the original velocity divided by 9.8 meters per second.
● The time to rise to the peak equals the time to fall back down to the original height.

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

EXAMPLE 1:
Rex Things dropped his mother’s vase out the window of his fourth story apartment
18.2 m above the ground. Determine the time it took for it to reach the ground.

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Step 1: 𝑣𝑜 = 0 𝑚/𝑠 𝑑 =− 18. 2 𝑚 𝑎 =− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠

Step 2: 𝑡 = ?
1 2
Step 3: 𝑑 = 𝑣𝑜 ⋅ 𝑡 + 2
⋅𝑎⋅𝑡

1 2 2
Step 4: − 18. 2 𝑚 = 2
⋅ (− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠 ) ⋅ 𝑡

Step 5: 1. 93 𝑠

EXAMPLE 2:
Rex Things dropped his mother’s vase out the window of his fourth story apartment
18.2 m above the ground. Determine its landing speed.

2
Step 1: 𝑣𝑜 = 0 𝑚/𝑠 𝑑 =− 18. 2 𝑚 𝑎 =− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠

Step 2: 𝑣𝑓 = ?
2 2
Step 3: 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 2 ⋅ 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑑
2 2
Step 4: 𝑣𝑓 = 2 ⋅ (− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠 ) ⋅ (− 18. 2 𝑚)

Step 5: 𝑣𝑓 = 18. 9 𝑚/𝑠

EXAMPLE 3:
Eva Baul throws a ball upward at 23.4 m/s. Determine the time it takes for the ball to
reach its highest point (i.e., the peak).

2
Step 1: 𝑣𝑓 = 0 𝑚/𝑠 𝑣𝑜 = 23. 4 𝑚/𝑠 𝑎 =− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠

Step 2: 𝑡 = ?
Step 3: 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑡
2
Step 4: 0 𝑚/𝑠 = (23. 4 𝑚/𝑠) + (− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠 ) ⋅ 𝑡

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

Step 5: 𝑡 = 2. 39 𝑠

EXAMPLE 4:
Eva Baul throws a ball upward at 23.4 m/s. Determine the distance of the ball above
its initial position when it reaches the peak.

2
Step 1: 𝑣𝑜 = 0 𝑚/𝑠 𝑣𝑓 =− 18. 2 𝑚 𝑎 =− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠

Step 2: 𝑑 = ?
2 2
Step 3: 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 2 ⋅ 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑑
2 2 2
Step 4: (0 𝑚/𝑠) = (23. 4 𝑚/𝑠) + 2 ⋅ (− 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 ) ⋅ 𝑑
Step 5: 𝑑 = 27. 9 𝑚

EXAMPLE 5:
Jason stands on a cliff 24 m above the ground and throws a ball upward at 16 m/s.
Determine the speed of the ball when it hits the ground below the cliff.

2
Step 1: 𝑣𝑜 = 16 𝑚/𝑠 𝑑 =− 24 𝑚 𝑎 =− 9. 8 𝑚/𝑠

Step 2: 𝑣𝑓 = ?
2 2
Step 3: 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 2 ⋅ 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑑
2 2 2
Step 4: 𝑣𝑓 = (16 𝑚/𝑠) + 2 ⋅ (− 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 ) ⋅ (− 24𝑚)

Step 5: 𝑣𝑓 = 27 𝑚/𝑠

FREE FALL MOTION BALL EXPERIMENT

When an object is released from the grip of another object, it is in free fall. Gravity is
the only force acting on an object in free fall. The acceleration caused by gravity has no
effect on the object.

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

The objective of the experiment is to determine how gravity affects a ball's

acceleration with only using the gravity as force and how the ball responds depending on its
density but only using the same height.
Wherein;

Graph 1 2 3 4

Ball Type Density Drop Height Bounce Height Velocity

Basketball 8. 42𝑔/𝑐𝑚
3 2𝑚 1. 40𝑚 1. 8𝑚/𝑠

Volleyball 4. 3𝑔/𝑐𝑚
3 2𝑚 1. 30𝑚 1. 4𝑚/𝑠

Handball 8. 18𝑔/𝑐𝑚
3 2𝑚 1. 35𝑚 1. 6𝑚/𝑠

Medicine Ball 33. 3𝑔/𝑐𝑚

3 2𝑚 𝐿𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 10𝑐𝑚 2. 4𝑚/𝑠

Jackstone 14. 25/𝑐𝑚

3 2𝑚 1. 60𝑚 0. 8𝑚/𝑠

Formulas for each column:

For Column 1:
𝑚
𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑉
; m = mass, V = volume

Column 2:
𝐷𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝐻𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 2 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑
Column 3:
Bounce height was measured by the balls’ distance from the ground after hitting it.
Column 4:
△𝑠
𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = △𝑡
; △s = speed, △t = time

The goal was to see how each ball reacts to a given freefall height and how it
responds depending on its density; thus, it is concluded in this experiment that the denser
the object, the more velocity it carries due to the pull of Earth's gravity. As a result, the
higher the density, the greater the velocity was produced.

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

THE ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY FREE FALL METHOD

The acceleration due to gravity is where the rate at which an object in free fall gains speed
(velocity).

A free-falling object is one that is falling solely due to gravity. The downward
acceleration of a free-falling object is 9.8 m/s (on Earth). The acceleration produced when a
body falls under the influence of the earth's gravitational force alone. This numerical value
for the acceleration of a free-falling object is so important that it is given its own name. It is
referred to as acceleration of gravity. the acceleration of any object moving solely under the
influence of gravity. In fact, the acceleration of gravity is such an important quantity that
physicists have a special symbol to represent it: the symbol g. A free fall motion is any
motion that undergoes a constant acceleration equivalent to gravity , the ball's motion will be
accelerated by an external force acting on it. It is the state of a body that moves freely in any
manner in the presence of gravity.

When talking about gravity in gravitational force there are two scientists we think
about first: Isaac Newton. According to Isaac Newton, any motion of a body in which gravity
is the only force acting on it is referred to as free fall. A body in free fall has no force acting
on it in the context of general relativity, where gravitation is reduced to a space-time
curvature. He explained that “I know masses attract other masses but I can’t explain why”.
The second is Albert Einstein. According to Einstein, Instead of exerting an attractive force,
he reasoned that each object curves the fabric of space and time around them, creating a

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

sort of well into which other objects and even light beams fall. He said“ Newton came up
with a great idea but my way actually explains why masses attracts masses it’s all about the
curvature of space continuum”

Formula:

s = Distance / Displacement

u = Initial Velocity
1 2
𝑠 = 𝑢𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡 t = Time

a = Acceleration

2
𝑡 = Time

Diagram:

2𝑠
𝑔= 2
𝑡

➢ Measure the distance (s) with meter stick

➢ Measure the time (t) with electronic timer
➢ Repeat for 6 different heights
2𝑠
➢ 𝑔= 2 or
𝑡

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

Free fall acceleration is always constant and downward, freefall is a special case of
motion with constant acceleration. This is true even if the object is thrown upwards or has no
velocity. Gravitational acceleration is the acceleration gained by an object as a result of the
gravitational force. The unit is ms². It has both a magnitude and a direction. The motion of
the ball will be accelerated as a result of an external force acting on it.

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS:

1. Differentiate between average velocity and average speed.

- The main distinction between velocity and average speed is that velocity is a
vector variable, whereas speed is a scalar variable; in other words, the
direction is considered when discussing velocity but not speed. The term
"speed" refers to how quickly something moves. Average speed is the rate at
which a distance is covered. Velocity is the rate at which something changes
position.

2. Under what circumstances is the magnitude of the average velocity equal to

the average speed? Explain.
- The magnitude of an object's average velocity when traveling straight in the
same direction is the same as its average speed, considering that average
speed is the total distance traveled over time, and average velocity is the total
displacement moved over time.
3. Is the magnitude of the instantaneous velocity always equal to the
instantaneous speed? Explain.
- While instantaneous speed is defined as the first derivative of the magnitude of
distance traveled concerning time, instantaneous velocity is defined as the first
derivative of displacement to time. Because the time interval under
consideration is so brief, it is safe to assume that the particle's direction of
motion will not change during it. As a result, the magnitude of displacement will
be the same as the distance traveled during this interval, and instantaneous
speed and instantaneous velocity will always be equal.

4. What is meant by negative velocity? Negative acceleration?

- A velocity can be negative, positive, or even zero, depending on its direction.
The direction of the velocity is affected by the coordinate system used to
represent the position. Simply put, a positive velocity indicates that the object
is moving in the direction predicted by the coordinate system, while a negative
velocity implies the opposite. The concept is also the same with acceleration.

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Acceleration can be positive, negative, or zero. The sign of the algebraic

acceleration changes depending on the coordinate system used to represent
the position. When the acceleration is negative, the direction of the velocity is
reversed.

5. Is negative acceleration the same as deceleration? If NOT, differentiate the two

terms.
- Deceleration occurs when an object is subjected to a force that acts in the
opposite direction as it travels. The slowing down of speed is referred to as
deceleration. When something slows down, the acceleration reverses the
direction of the velocity. As a result, this object is moving at a negative velocity.
A negative-acceleration object can accelerate, while a positive-acceleration
object can decelerate.

6. Kate runs 200 m, east in 20 s and returns through the same path in only 18 s.
Determine the following:
a. Kate’s average speed during the entire trip.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 200 𝑚 + 200 𝑚 400 𝑚
𝑣= 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
= 20 𝑠 + 18 𝑠
= 38 𝑠
= 10. 53 𝑚/𝑠

b. Her average velocity during the entire trip.

→ 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ∆𝑥 200 𝑚 − 200 𝑚 0𝑚
𝑣= 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
= ∆𝑡
= 18 𝑠 − 20 𝑠
=− 2𝑠
= 0 𝑚/𝑠

c. Her average velocity during the return trip.

→ 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 −200 𝑚
𝑣= 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
= 18 𝑠
=− 11. 11 𝑚/𝑠
2
7. A car’s velocity as a function of time is given by 𝑣(𝑡) = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑡 where a = 10
m/s and b = 1.2 m/s3. Calculate (a) the average acceleration for the time interval
t = 0 s to t = 10 s and (b) the instantaneous acceleration at t = 0 s and at t = 10 s.
a. Average acceleration for the time interval t = 0 s to t = 10 s
The velocity at t = 0 s:
2
𝑣(0) = 𝑎 + 𝑏(0) = 𝑎 = 10 𝑚/𝑠
The velocity at t = 10 s:

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NPH 1202: Physics for Engineers Laboratory S.Y. 2022-2023

2 3 2
𝑣(10) = 𝑎 + 𝑏(10) = 10 𝑚/𝑠 + 1. 2 𝑚/𝑠 (100 𝑠 ) = 130 𝑚/𝑠
Average acceleration:
∆𝑣 130 𝑚/𝑠−10 𝑚/𝑠 120 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑒 = ∆𝑡
= 10 𝑠−0 𝑠
= 10 𝑠
= 12 𝑚/𝑠

b. Instantaneous acceleration at t = 0 s and at t = 10 s

Formula:
2
𝑎(𝑡) = 𝑣'(𝑡) = (α + 𝑏𝑡 ) = 2𝑏𝑡
Instantaneous acceleration at t = 0 s:
3 2
𝑎(0) = 2𝑏(0) = 2(1. 2 𝑚/𝑠 )(0 𝑠) = 0 𝑚/𝑠
Instantaneous acceleration at t = 10 s:
3 2
𝑎(10) = 2𝑏(10) = 2(1. 2 𝑚/𝑠 )(10 𝑠) = 24 𝑚/𝑠

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