Acceleration & Free Fall

Free fall refers to the motion of an object under the influence of gravity alone, without any other
external forces acting on it.
In this case the acceleration of an object is equal to the acceleration of gravity in terms of “g”.
The acceleration due to gravity “g” is a constant that is equal to 9.81m/s^2 on the surface of the Earth.
This means that in free fall an object will fall at a rate of 9.8m/s^2., accelerating downwards towards
the ground.

What is g?
g is the force that attracts two objects with mass towards each other, it is what causes objects to fall
towards the ground when dropped. The strength of the gravitational force between two objects
depends on their masses and the distance between them, according to Newton’s second law of
gravitation.

Acceleration of g

The acceleration due to gravity, often symbolized as “g”, is the acceleration experienced by an object
in free fall near the surface of the Earth. It is approximately 9.81 metres per second squared, or 32 feet
per second squared, and is a constant that depends on the mass and size of the Earth. It can be thought
of as the force acting on an object near the Earth’s surface, which is why it is sometimes referred to as
the “force of gravity”.
The value of “g” is used in various calculations, such as determining the velocity of an object after a
certain amount of time in free fall or calculating the weight on an object on the Earth’s surface.

Aims of the experiment of determining g.

The aim of the experiment to determine the acceleration of gravity (g) is to measure the acceleration
of an object under the influence of gravity. This is usually accomplished by measuring the time it
takes for an object to fall a certain distance in a vacuum under the influence of gravity.
The acceleration due to gravity can then be calculated using the equation: g = (2 * d)/ (t^2)
Where d is the distance fallen and t is the time taken. By measuring g, we can determine the strength
of the gravitational field in any location on the Earth’s surface.
This value can be used in various calculations such as determining the weight of an object or
calculating the velocity of a projectile.
Measuring the acceleration of g using two
methods

1. Free-fall method: In this method, an object is dropped from a known height and its time of flight is
measured using a timer or a photogate.
The acceleration due to gravity can then be calculated from the object’s velocity and the distance it
falls. This method relies on the fact that
the acceleration of an object in free fall is constant and equal to g.

2. Trap-door method: In this method, and object is suspended from a pivot point and held in place by
a latch. When the latch is released, the
object falls under the influence of gravity and the time it takes to fall a known distance is measured.
By measuring the time of flight and the
distance fallen; the acceleration due to gravity can be calculated. This method is similar to the free-fall
method, but it eliminates the effects.
of air resistance, which can be significant for objects falling over long distances.

Both methods can provide accurate measurements of the acceleration due to gravity, but the trap-door
method is often preferred for high-precision
measurements as it eliminates the effects of air resistance.

Both the free-fall method and the trap-door method are used to measure the acceleration due to
gravity (g) and both have their own advantages
and disadvantages.

The free-fall method is simple to set up and perform, and it does not require any special equipment
beyond a timer or photogate. However, air
Resistance can have a significant effect on the accuracy of the measurement for objects falling over
long distances.

The trap-door method eliminates the effects of air resistance by suspending the object in a vacuum or
near-vacuum chamber, making it a preferred method for high-precision
Measurements. However, it requires specialized equipment and is more complex to set up and
perform than the free-fall method.
In general, the trap-door method is considered to be a better method for measuring g with high
accuracy, while the free-fall method is often used for quick and easy measurements or for educational
purposes. The choice between the two methods ultimately depends on the desired accuracy and the
resources available for the measurement.

Measuring the acceleration of g using trap-

door method
Equipment:
- Ball Bearing
- Electromagnet
- Millisecond timer (connected to the electromagnet via the red and black circuit)
- Trapdoor
- Metre rule

Method:

1. Set-up the apparatus by plugging in the red circuit to the millisecond timer and connecting it
to the electromagnet (clamp the electromagnet to a sturdy table to ensure accurate results). Do the
same for the black circuit by connecting it to the millisecond timer and then to the trap-door.
2. Switch on the timer and carefully position the ball-bearing onto the electromagnet.

3. Make sure the timer is at 0.00 and release the ball-bearing via the switch on top of the
electromagnet which will break the red circuit and start the timer (initial velocity of the ball is
O)

4. When the ball-bearing falls through the air and eventually hits the switch on the trap-door the
timer should stop; disconnecting the black circuit.

5. Using a metre rule, repeat the procedure multiple times at different heights to receive an
accurate result.

Aims of the experiment

The aims of the experiment are to calculate the value of the acceleration due to gravity, g.
 This is done by measuring the time it takes for the ball-bearing to travel from the
electromagnet to the trap-door at different heights while using SUVAT to calculate the
acceleration.

Resolution of measuring equipment

Millisecond timer: 0.00

Metre ruler: 1cm

Analysis of results
- The acceleration is found by using of the SUVAT equations
- The known quantities are :
Displacement s = h
Time taken = t
Initial velocity = u
Acceleration a = g

Variables
- Independent variable = height
- Dependent variable = time
- Control variables:
Same ball-bearing
Same electromagnet
Same trap-door
Same millisecond timer

Systematic errors
- Residue magnetism after the electromagnet is switched off may cause t to be recorded as
longer than it should be.
Random errors:
- Large uncertainty in h from using a metre rule with a precision of 1 mm.
- Parallax error from reading h.
- The ball may not fall accurately down the centre of each light gate
- Random errors are reduced through repeating the experiment for each value of h at least 3-5
times and finding an average time, t.

Safety considerations
- The electromagnet requires current
- Care must be taken to not have any water or liquid near it
- To reduce the risk of electrocution, only switch on the current to the electromagnet once
everything is set up
- A cushion or a soft surface must be used to catch the ball-bearing so it doesn’t roll off/
damage the surface.
- The tall clamp stand needs to be attached to a surface with a g clamp so it stays sturdy and
rigid.

Results
- From the results above the line is headed in a positive correlation.
- The gradient is calculated by:
a = grad = rise/run

2h/t = 0.6x2/0.31 = 3.870

(3.870-0.750) / 0.43 = 9.17ms^-2