Physics I – PHYS 243L

(General Physics, with Calculus)

Title: Determining g on an Incline

Course Name/ Number: Physics I (Calculus) – PHYS 243L

Class Time/ Section Number: 4:00 pm – 6:50 pm / Section 1

Performed: September 26th, 2018

Submitted: October 3rd, 2018

I. ABSTRACT

Acceleration of gravity, g, is the acceleration of a free-falling object in which the

object is falling only under the influence of gravity. The acceleration of a rolling cart
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on an incline can be determined by the angle of incline, and it increases as the angle

of incline with the horizontal line increases, as acceleration is directly proportional to

the sine of the incline angle, θ . This experiment’s objectives included the use of a

Motion Detector to measure the velocity and acceleration of a cart rolling down an

incline; the determination of the mathematical relationship between the angle of an

incline and the acceleration of a cart rolling down the incline; the determination of the

value of free fall acceleration, g, by using an extrapolation on the acceleration vs. sine

of track angle graph; and the determination if an extrapolation of the acceleration vs.

sine of track angle is valid. The position vs. time graphs, and velocity vs. time graphs,

were obtained with the use of a Vernier Motion Detector, a Vernier computer

interface, and the Logger Pro software. It was measured the velocity and acceleration

of a cart on an incline with different heights depending on the number of books used

to elevate the track. The velocity and acceleration of the cart rolling down an incline

were determined by the position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, where the

slope of each was the velocity and acceleration respectively. The rolling cart’s

obtained acceleration was 9.6126 m/s2 with a 1.91% error, as free fall acceleration’s

true value is 9.8 m/s2. The mathematical relationship between the angle of an incline

and the acceleration of a cart rolling down the incline was determined to be a=gSinθ.

The value of free fall acceleration was determined to be 9.823 m/s2 using an

extrapolation on the acceleration vs. sinθ graph, which proves to be valid as the true

value for free fall acceleration is 9.8 m/s2. The experimental value for gravity was

very close to the true value and could therefore be validated.

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II. INTRODUCTION

A. Objective:

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The objectives of this experiment were to use a Motion Detector to

measure the velocity and acceleration of a cart rolling down an incline; to

determine the mathematical relationship between the angle of an incline

and the acceleration of a cart rolling down the incline; to determine the

value of free fall acceleration, g, by using an extrapolation on the

acceleration vs. sine of track angle graph; and to determine if an

extrapolation of the acceleration vs. sine of track angle is valid.

B. Theory:

Gravity can be defined as “the force by which a planet or body

draws objects towards its center.” Galileo discovered gravity by theorizing

that a falling object had constant acceleration, and that if air resistance and

buoyancy could be neglected, all objects would fall with the same

acceleration regardless of weight. A free-falling object has an acceleration

of 9.8 m/s2 downward, and it is called the acceleration of gravity, g. The

acceleration of a rolling cart on an incline can be determined by the angle

of incline, and it increases as the angle of incline with the horizontal line

increases. The acceleration is directly proportional to the sine of the

incline angle, θ . The mathematical relationship between the angle of an

incline and the acceleration of a cart rolling down the incline can be

determined using the following equations:

∑ F y=F N −mgCosθ=ma y ; a y=0

F N −mgCosθ=0

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F N =mgCosθ

∑ F x =ma x
mgSinθ=ma

a=gSinθ

In the equations, a and g are variables that stand for acceleration

and gravity, respectively. Gravity is a constant that is equal to 9.8 m/s2.

Extrapolation on acceleration vs. sin(θ ) graphs where sin(θ ) is equal to 1,

results in an incline angle of 90o, which is equal to free-fall, where the

acceleration is equal to gravity.

III. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

A. Equipment:

The apparatus used in this experiment were a computer, a Vernier

computer interface, Logger Pro, a Vernier Motion Detector, a meter stick, a

Vernier Dynamics Track, a Vernier Dynamics Cart, a Motion Detector Bracket,

an Adjustable End Stop, and books.

B. Procedure:

1. The Motion Detector was connected to a digital (DIG) port of the

interface, and the sensitivity switch was set to Track.

2. The equipment was set up, and a single book was placed under one

end of the Dynamics Track so that it formed a small angle with the

horizontal. The points of contact of the two ends of the incline

were adjusted so that the distance, x, was between 1 and 2 m.

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3. The Motion Detector was placed at the top of the incline. It was

positioned so that the Dynamics Cart was not closer than 0.15 m.

4. The file “04 Determining g” was opened from the Physics with

Vernier folder.

5. The cart was held on the incline about 0.5 m from the Motion

Detector.

6. It was clicked collect to begin data collection; the cart was released

after the Motion Detector started to click. Hands were quickly

moved out of the Motion Detector’s path. The position and aim of

the Motion Detector were adjusted several times before getting it

right. This step was repeated until a good run was achieved

showing an approximately constant slope on the velocity vs. time

graph during the rolling of the cart.

7. A straight line was fit to a portion of the data. First, it was selected

a portion by dragging across the graph to indicate the starting and

ending times. Then, it was clicked on Linear Fit, to perform a

linear regression of the selected data. This tool was used to

determine the slope of the velocity vs. time graph using only the

portion of the data for times when the cart was freely rolling. From

the fitted line, it was found the acceleration of the cart. The values

were recorded on the data table.

8. The Steps 5-7 were repeated two more times.

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9. The length of the incline, x, was measure, which was the distance

between the two contact points of the incline. The length was

recorded in the data table.

10. The height of the incline, h, of the book(s), was measured. The

height was recorded in the data table. The last two measurements

were used to determine the angle of the incline.

11. The incline was raised by placing a second book under the end.

The books were adjusted so that the distance, s, was the same as

the previous reading.

12. The Steps 5-10 for the new incline were repeated.

13. The Steps 5-11 for 3,4, and 5 books were repeated.

IV. DATA

Table 1 Dynamics of Rolling Cart

Height Length Velocity Acceleration

Number Average
of of
of Sin(θ ) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 acceleration
books, incline,
books (m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s2) (m/s2) (m/s2) (m/s2)
h (m) x (m)
1 0.03 m 1.21 m 0.0248 0.4516 0.4491 0.4509 0.2232 0.2351 0.2350 0.2311
0.065
2 1.21 m 0.0537 0.7257 0.7243 0.7224 0.5273 0.5272 0.5145 0.523
m
0.104
3 1.21 m 0.0860 0.9784 0.9694 0.9789 0.7821 0.7851 0.7837 0.7836
m
0.135
4 1.21 m 0.1116 1.286 1.291 1.289 1.081 1.087 1.089 1.0857
m
0.175
5 1.21 m 0.1446 1.490 1.492 1.510 1.377 1.381 1.387 1.3817
m

Data table representing the values obtained from three different trials of the three

distinctive inclines, and the calculated Sin(θ ), and average acceleration values.

Part I – 1 Book Incline

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Graph 1: 1 Book Trial 1

First trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by one book.

Graph 2: 1 Book Trial 2

Second trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by one book.

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Graph 3: 1 Book Trial 3

Third trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by one book.

Part II – 2 Books Incline

Graph 4: 2 Books Trial 1

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First trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by two books.

Graph 5: 2 Books Trial 2

Second trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by two books.

Graph 6: 2 Books Trial 3

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Third trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by two books.

Part III – 3 Books Incline

Graph 7: 3 Books Trial 1

First trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by three books.

Graph 8: 3 Books Trial 2

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Second trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by three books.

Graph 9: 3 Books Trial 3

Third trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by three books.

Part IV – 4 Books Incline

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Graph 10: 4 Books Trial 1

First trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by four books.

Graph 11: 4 Books Trial 2

Second trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by four books.

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Graph 12: 4 Books Trial 3

Third trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by four books.

Part V – 5 Books Incline

Graph 13: 5 Books Trial 1

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First trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by five books.

Graph 14: 5 Books Trial 2

Second trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by five books.

Graph 15: 5 Books Trial 3

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Third trial of position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in which portray the

motion of a cart on an incline raised by five books.

Graph 16: Average Acceleration vs. sin (θ)

Dynamics of Cart
1.6
1.4
f(x) = 9.53860607409433 x
1.2 R² = 0.999516179452158
Average Acceleration

1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
sin(θ)

Graph represents the average acceleration vs. sin(θ ), in which the slope value is

supposed to equal g, gravity.

Graph 17: Extrapolated Average Acceleration vs. sin(θ)

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Graph represents the extrapolated average acceleration vs. sin(θ ), in which the

slope value is supposed to equal g, gravity.

V. ANALYSIS

A. Calculations and Graphs:

The Graphs 1-15 represent position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, in

which measure the velocity and acceleration of the cart on an incline with

different heights depending on the number of books used to elevate the track. The

margin of error between each trial was very small, and it can be observed a trend

of increasing acceleration and velocity as the number of book increases, or the

height. The average of acceleration was obtained from calculating the average of

the three trials for different number of books. The values for sin(θ ) were obtained

by dividing the value for the height of the books h, by the value for length of the

incline, x. The average acceleration and sin(θ ) values, were used to obtain an

average acceleration vs. sin(θ ) graph, in which the slope is equal to the

acceleration, and in this case, gravity. The acceleration of the cart increased as the

angle of incline with the horizontal line increased. The acceleration is directly

proportional to the sine of the incline angle, θ . The extrapolation on the

acceleration vs. sin(θ ) graph to where sin(θ ) was equal to 1, resulted in an incline

angle of 90o, which is equal to free-fall, where the acceleration is equal to gravity,

g. As shown in Graph 17, the exact free fall acceleration value for the

extrapolated graph was 9.823 m/s2, which validated the extrapolation of the

acceleration vs. sine of track angle. According to Graph 16, the acceleration of the

rolling cart obtained was of 9.6126 m/s2, with a percent error of 1.91%.

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B. Discussion of Error:

The equipment used in this experiment to measure motion was a Motion

Detector. Motion Detectors are very sensitive to movement and can measure

sound waves all around its surroundings. The room in which the experiment was

performed contained many different objects, including electronic equipment that

caused electromagnetic interference altering data. The data results could have also

been altered by other student’s movement in the classroom walking behind the

work stations, tracking of hand motion instead of object’s, and object not being in

the beam of the Motion Detector. Another source of error could have been due to

the use of a meter stick to measure the height of the book(s), in which was not

very precise. The percentage error of the experimental value of g, was calculated

using the equation:

g experimental−g true value

% error= ×100
gtrue value

The result obtained in Graph 16 for the acceleration of the cart, or g, was plugged

in to the equation above:

9.6126 ( m/s )−9.8 ( m/s )

2 2
% error= × 100=1.91 %
9.8 ( m/s )
2

Therefore, the percent error for the experiment was of 1.91%.

C. Conclusions:

The understanding of gravity and free-fall acceleration allowed for the

measurement of the velocity and acceleration of a cart rolling down an incline, the

determination of the mathematical relationship between the angle of an incline

and the acceleration of a cart rolling down the incline, the determination of the

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value of free fall acceleration, g, by using an extrapolation on the acceleration vs.

sine of track angle graph, and lastly the determination of the extrapolation of the

acceleration vs. sine of track angle validity. The velocity and acceleration of the

cart rolling down an incline were determined by the position vs. time and velocity

vs. time graphs, where the slope of each was the velocity and acceleration

respectively. The mathematical relationship between the angle of an incline and

the acceleration of a cart rolling down the incline was determined to be a=gSinθ.

The acceleration of the cart increased as the angle of incline with the horizontal

line increased. The acceleration is directly proportional to the sine of the incline

angle, θ .The value of free fall acceleration was determined to be 9.823 m/s2 using

an extrapolation on the acceleration vs. sinθ graph, which proves to be valid as

the true value for free fall acceleration is 9.8 m/s2. The acceleration of the cart

rolling down the incline was 9.6126 m/s2, with a 1.91% error. The experimental

value for gravity was very close to the true value and could therefore be validated.

VI. APPENDICES

PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS

1. One of the timing devices Galileo used was his pulse. Drop a rubber

ball from a height of about 2 m and try to determine how many pulse

beats elapsed before it hits the ground. What was the timing problem

that Galileo encountered? Pulse is determined by mechanisms of internal

body and excitement at that point. The problem faced by Galileo is with

inconsistency with the number of pulses thus causing error in the

experiment results.

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2. Now measure the time it takes for the rubber ball to fall 2 m, using a

watch or clock with a second hand or seconds display. Did the results

improve substantially? Yes, the results improved substantially as error

decreased because of better precision.

3. Roll the hard ball down an incline that makes an angle of about 10o

with the horizontal. First use your pulse and then your watch or clock

to measure the time of descent. The time of descent was different in both

cases. The results were more precise using the wrist watch.

4. Do you think that during Galileo’s day it was possible to get useful

data for any of these experiments? Why? Yes, it was possible to obtain

useful data. There were no other methods of measuring time, and the

results easily provided proof of the value of gravity.

ANALYSIS

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1. Using trigonometry and your values of x and h in the data table, calculate

the sine of the incline angle for each height. Note that x is the hypotenuse

of a right triangle.

Heigh Velocity Acceleration

Lengt
Numbe t of Average
h of Sin(θ Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial
r of books acceleratio
incline ) 1 2 3 1 2 3
books ,h n (m/s2)
, x (m) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s2) (m/s2) (m/s2)
(m)
0.03 1.21 0.024 0.451 0.449 0.450 0.223 0.235 0.235
1 0.2311
m m 8 6 1 9 2 1 0
0.065 1.21 0.053 0.725 0.724 0.722 0.527 0.527 0.514
2 0.523
m m 7 7 3 4 3 2 5
0.104 1.21 0.086 0.978 0.969 0.978 0.782 0.785 0.783
3 0.7836
m m 0 4 4 9 1 1 7
0.135 1.21 0.111
4 1.286 1.291 1.289 1.081 1.087 1.089 1.0857
m m 6
0.175 1.21 0.144
5 1.490 1.492 1.510 1.377 1.381 1.387 1.3817
m m 6

2. Calculate the average acceleration for each height. Plot a graph of the

average acceleration (y-axis) vs. sin(θ ). Use either Page 3 of the

experiment file or graph paper. Carry the horizontal axis out to sin(θ )

=1(one) to leave room for extrapolation.

3. Draw a best-fit line by hand or use the proportional fit feature of Logger

Pro and determine the slope. The slope can be used to determine the
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acceleration of the cart on an incline of any angle. Acceleration of the cart

on an incline was 9.612 m/s2.

4. On the graph, carry the fitted line out to sin(90o) = 1 on the horizontal

axis and read the value of the acceleration. The value of acceleration would

equal to gravity, or 9.8 m/s2.

5. How well does the extrapolated value agree with the accepted value of

free-fall acceleration (g = 9.8 m/s2)? The extrapolated value does not agree

with the accepted value of free-fall acceleration. The percent error of the free-

fall acceleration was of 1.91%.

6. Discuss the validity of extrapolating the acceleration value to an angle of

90o. If the angle is 90o then the extrapolation of acceleration is equal to

acceleration due to gravity. The value is valid as it was 9.823 m/s2, which is

very close to 9.8 m/s2.

VII. REFERENCES

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Erickson, Kristen. “What Is Gravity?” NASA, NASA,

spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity/en/.

Fowler, Michael. “Discovering Gravity.” Galileo,

galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/152.mf1i.spring02/DiscoveringGravity.htm.

Giancoli, Douglas C. “Describing Motion: Kinematics in One Dimension.” Physics for

Scientists and Engineers With Modern Physics, 4th ed., vol. 1, Pearson Education,

Inc., 2008, pp. 18–50.

“Motion With Graphs.” Introduction, Physics Tutotials,

www.physicstutorials.org/home/mechanics/1d-kinematics/motion-with-graphs.

“Newton's Second Law.” The Physics Classroom, The Physics Classroom,

www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-3/Newton-s-Second-Law.

“What Are Velocity vs. Time Graphs?” Khan Academy, Khan Academy,

www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion/acceleration-

tutorial/a/what-are-velocity-vs-time-graphs.

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