PILAR COLLEGE OF ZAMBOANGA CITY, INC.

R. T. Lim Boulevard, Zamboanga City

Basic Education Department
PAASCU Accredited Level III
A. Y. 2022-2023

GENERAL PHYSICS 1

LABORATORY REPORT

FREEFALL: INVESTIGATING GRAVITY

BY:

Jennelle T. Lacastesantos

12-St.Paul the Apostle(A)

Nov.28.2022
Date of submission
Introduction

The most familiar example of motion with constant acceleration is that of a freely falling bodies. To obtain a
freefall, the body should be under the influence of the earth’s gravity without regard to the effects of air resistance. The
idea behind the freefall phenomenon has held the attention of scientists and philosophers since ancient times.

Aristotle thought that heavy objects fall faster than light ones, in proportion to their weight. But later, Galileo
Galilei argued that a body should fall downward with an acceleration that is constant and independent of the body’s
weight and composition. In his quest to find a general rule describing how distances increase with increasing time of fall,
he found out that the distance travelled was proportional to the square of the elapsed time.

Objectives

1. Verify which of the argument raised by Galileo and Aristotle exist in nature.
2. Determine the factors affecting freefall.

Materials`

● Cord

● Meterstick

● Timer

● 3 index cards

● 3 balls (different composition but same size)

Procedure
 A. “Galileo Vs. Aristotle” A Question of Freefall
1. Measure the weight of each of the three balls.
2. Simultaneously drop the three balls from the same height.
3. Record the time it takes for each ball to hit the ground on table 1.
4. Fold the three index cards provided. One should be folded to ½ its original size, the other ¼, and the other to
1/8.
5. Simultaneously drop the three index cards from the same height.
6. Record the time it takes for each folded index cards to hit the ground on table 2.
7. Make an analysis of the data you obtained.

B. Acceleration due to Gravity

1. Go to any desired place and measure its height (dm) with reference to the ground.
2. From this known height, drop a ball.
3. Record the time it takes for the ball to hit the ground on table 3.
1 2
4. Compute for g using the formula d y = g t
2
5. Compare the value of acceleration due to gravity that you obtained with the accepted value (9.8 m/s 2) by
computing the percent error.

DATA AND RESULTS

Table 1: Time of Fall Of The Balls

Ball Number Weight Time

1 10g 0.46 s

2 20g 0.45 s

3 30g 0.48 s

Table 2: Time of Fall Of Index Cards

Card Fold Time

½ 0.30 s

¼ 0.25 s

1/8 0.24 s

Table 3:

Trial Time took for the Computed Accepted value of

ball to hit the Acceleration due to acceleration due to
ground, t gravity,g gravity
% error
2
(s) (m/s )

1 0.52 1.43 m/s2 9.7 5.04%

 2 0.50 1.22 m/s2 9.7 2.87%

3 0.53 1.37 m/s2 9.7 4.47%

POST-LAB QUESTIONS

1. Is the value of g constant? If not, what factors could have affected the variations in its value?

-No,It affects the variation by the factors in its value clicking the stop button on the stopwatch.

2. A ball is dropped from a building with an unknown height. The time it takes for the ball to hit the ground is 1. 0 s.
Given that the situation is a freefall, what is the height of the building?

Sample Computations:

Conclusions
Appendices (pictures)

A. “Galileo Vs. Aristotle” A Question of Freefall

PROCEDURE 1 PROCEDURE 2 PROCEDURE 3

PROCEDURE 4 PROCEDURE 5 PROCEDURE 6

B. Acceleration due to Gravity

C.

PROCEDURE 1 PROCEDURE 2 PROCEDURE 3

Note:

In doing the procedures, please make sure that face can be seen in the pictures. Please do not use the pictures of others.
Plagiarism is a crime!