Lone Star College

Physics 1402
Name: Date:

Lab 1: Statistical Analysis of Data Lab

Objective The goal of this “lab” is to learn some of the data analysis techniques that you will
be using throughout the rest of the semester and most likely beyond. Specifically,
you will learn how to use a data set to create a plot in a spreadsheet program, and
you will learn how to draw conclusions about your data from the plot. This lab
relies heavily on the content in the “Guide to Data Analysis” handout. Please refer
to that handout if you have any questions as you go.

Note: In this lab, you will be making two plots in Excel (or a similar spreadsheet
program). You will need to attach these plots, along with the columns of data that
you entered in the spreadsheet program, and turn them in with the lab.
Case 1: Newton’s Second Law

Introduction

We will start with the example from the “Guide to Data Analysis” handout involving a hypothetical
experiment to test Newton’s second law. Essentially, you will be reproducing the example from the
handout. This way you can compare to a known example to check that you are on the right track.

As in the handout, we imagine subjecting an object of an unknown mass (let’s say, a block) to a single
known force and then measuring the acceleration value that results. We then imagine doing this
experiment many times for many different force values and recording the data that results.

We then organize the data into two columns as shown below.

Questions

We know that Newton’s second law says that the force, mass and acceleration should be related by the
equation 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎

1. In our experiment, did the force on the block vary or was it constant for all trials?

2. In our experiment, did the acceleration of the block vary or was it constant for all trials?

3. In our experiment, did the mass of the block vary or was it constant for all trials?

4. Given the fact that the force and acceleration varied, while the mass stayed constant, we want to create
a plot of force vs. acceleration (𝐹 vs. 𝑎). Given the form of Newton’s 2nd law above, would we expect
our plot to make a (i) linear curve, (ii) quadratic curve (parabola) or (iii) square root curve?

Recall that the equation of a line is

𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏

5. What quantity, force, mass or acceleration would correspond to the “y” value in our plot?

6. What quantity, force, mass or acceleration would correspond to the “x” value in our plot?

7. What quantity, force, mass or acceleration would correspond to the “slope (m)” value in our plot?

8. According to the expression for Newton’s 2nd law, what should the y-intercept (b) value be in our
plot?

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Plotting

For the details of how to carry out the plotting steps, see the Appendix in the “Guide to Data Analysis”
handout.

1. Open Excel or a similar spreadsheet program. Enter the exact data table from above (Data Table 1) into
your spreadsheet.
2. Create a scatterplot of the data, making sure that the “acceleration” values from the data table are on
the x-axis and the “force” values are on the y-axis.
3. Label the y-axis “Force (N)”.
4. Label the x-axis “acceleration (m/s2 ).
5. Create an appropriate title for the plot which tells the reader what you are plotting.
6. Use the “trendline” feature to have Excel produce a best-fit line for your data. The equation of the best-
fit line as well as the “𝑅2 ” value should be present on the plot.

Note: Your plot should look very similar to the plot labeled “Force vs Acceleration Plot 3 with
Trendline” on the middle of page four in the “Guide to Data Analysis” handout.

7. Attach the plot to this lab report or paste it at the end of the lab!

Analysis

1. Write the equation of your best-fit line below. This equation comes directly from your plot.

2. Given that the mass of the block in our “experiment” corresponds to the slope of the plot, write
the best-fit value of the mass of the block below. This is your “experimentally” determined mass
for your block.

3. What was the 𝑅2 value for your data? Write it below.

4. As was explained in the “Guide to Data Analysis” handout, the 𝑅2 value tells you, in general, how
strongly correlated the variables that you plotted are. In this case, the 𝑅2 value tells you how
strongly related force and acceleration are. Our expectation is that force and acceleration are
linearly related, as per Newton’s 2nd law.

Does the 𝑅2 value for your data suggest that force and acceleration are indeed linearly related, or
does it suggest that force and acceleration are not related? Explain briefly.

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Case 2: A Model for the Force of Air Resistance

You will do one more example of data analysis for a different imaginary experiment. In this
“experiment”, we imagine wanting to test how the force of air resistance on an object is related to the
speed of the object.

Background
Some of the factors that affect the force of air resistance on an object are (i) the speed of the object, the
(ii) surface area of the object, and the (iii) density of the air.
One model of air resistance that is often used is a model which suggests that the force of the air resistance
is proportional to the speed squared of the object moving through the air, assuming the density of the air
and the surface area of the object remain constant. Mathematically, this is written as
𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟 ∝ 𝑣2

If this model is correct, then, for instance, if the speed of an object doubles, the force of air resistance on
it quadruples.
The constant coefficient (often called the “proportionality constant”) that relates the force and the speed
squared is called the “resistance coefficient”, labeled 𝑐.

Thus, our model of air resistance is

𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓 = 𝒄𝒗𝟐
The resistance coefficient 𝑐 takes into account the density of the air as well as the surface area of the
object. Therefore, the value of 𝑐 will generally be different for each object.

However, for a given object in a given room of air, we expect the surface area and air density to be
constant, so the value of 𝑐 will be a constant.
Imagine doing an experiment where you cause some given object (let’s say a parachute of a fixed surface
area) to move at different speeds through the same air and then measure the force of air resistance on the
parachute for each speed, recording the data in the table below.

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Questions

Recall that our model for air resistance is given by the equation

𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓 = 𝒄𝒗𝟐

1. In our experiment, did the speed of the parachute vary or was it constant for all trials?

2. In our experiment, did the force of air resistance on the parachute vary or was it constant for all
trials?

3. In our experiment, did the parachute’s surface area and the air density vary or was it constant for
all trials?

4. Given your answer to question (3), do we expect that the resistance coefficient 𝑐 varied or was it
constant for all trials?

5. Given the fact that the speed and force of air resistance varied, while the resistance coefficient
stayed constant, we imagine creating a plot of force of air resistance vs. speed (𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟 vs. 𝑣).
Given the form of the equation for the air resistance model above, would we expect our plot to
make
i. A linear curve?
ii. ii. A quadratic curve (parabola)?
iii. iii. A square root curve?

Circle one answer from above and explain briefly. (If you are not sure, plot the data above and see
what the curve looks like!)

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 Plotting

You should see that since the speed is squared, a plot of force vs. speed would be expected to
make a quadratic curve (a parabola). For our purposes, a quadratic curve is not something we
want. Remember, we want to be able to find an equation for a best-fit line, so that we may find a
slope for our line. However, a quadratic curve is of course not a line and does not have a single
slope value.

To get around this problem, we will create a plot, not of force vs. speed, but force vs. speed
squared! This will “force” the equation to become a linear equation.

1. For each speed in the data table above (data table 2), square the speed and enter the speed
squared values into the data table below.

Speed squared (m2 /s2 ) Force of Air Resistance (N)

0.41

3.01

4.02

7.03

10.9

11.9

19.8

22.6

32.1

35.8

Data Table 3

Recall that the equation of a line is 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏 We will create a plot with the Force of Air Resistance 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟
as our “y” value, and the Speed squared 𝑣2 as our “x” value. We now expect this to be a linear plot.

2. Based on the equation describing the air resistance model, what quantity, 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟 , 𝑣2 or 𝑐 would
correspond to the “slope (m)” value in our plot?

3. What should the y-intercept (b) value be in our plot?

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4. For the details of how to carry out the plotting steps, see the Appendix in the “Guide to Data
Analysis” handout.

• Open Excel or a similar spreadsheet program. Enter the exact data table from above (Data
Table 3) into your spreadsheet.
• Create a scatterplot of the data, making sure that the “speed squared” values from the data
table are on the x-axis and the “force of air resistance” values are on the y-axis.
• Label the y-axis appropriately.
• Label the x-axis appropriately.
• Create an appropriate title for the plot which tells the reader what you are plotting.
• Use the “trendline” feature to have Excel produce a best-fit line for your data. The equation
of the best-fit line as well as the “𝑅2 ” value should be present on the plot.
• Attach the plot to this lab report or paste it at the end of the lab! !

Analysis

1. Write the equation of your best-fit line below. This equation comes directly from your plot.

2. Given that the resistance coefficient 𝑐 corresponds to the slope of the plot, write the best-fit
value of the air resistance coefficient for the parachute below. (Note that the units of 𝑐 would
be Nm2/s2 ).

3. What was the 𝑅2 value for your data? Write it below.

4. As was explained in the “Guide to Data Analysis” handout, the 𝑅2 value tells you, in
general, how strongly correlated the variables that you plotted are. In this case, the 𝑅2 value
tells you how strongly related force of air resistance and speed squared are. If the air
resistance model does indeed describe air resistance usefully, we expect that the force of air
resistance and speed squared are linearly related.

Does the 𝑅2 value for your data suggest that the air resistance model that was given above is a
useful model, or that it does not do a good job of modeling the dependence of air resistance on
speed? Explain briefly.