Physics Motion Lab



Physics Motion Lab

Part 1: Constant velocity

Materials – battery powered vehicles, stop watch metric tape measure

Procedure – Time the vehicles for distances of 1 to 10 meters

Graph the results and draw best-fit straight line for each vehicle

Data - Vehicle #1 Vehicle #2

|Time (s) |Dist (m) |Time (s) |Dist (m) |

| |1 | |1 |

| |2 | |2 |

| |3 | |3 |

| |4 | |4 |

| |5 | |5 |

Results - Find the slope of each best-fit straight line.

What units are used to measure the slope?

Conclusions – If your car is running on cruise control, what factors might cause the

velocity to change above and/or below the cruising velocity?

When an airplane is on autopilot, what factors might cause the

velocity to change?

If your car is going east at 25 m/s, give several devices on the car that could change its velocity (remember that velocity is a vector).

Part 2: Constant acceleration

Materials - Ticker tape machine, ticker tape, mass 50 gm and 100 gm

Procedure - Attach mass to ticker tape and let gravity accelerate to tape

Measure the distance traveled every 5 ticks

Repeat for the second mass

Graph the results of distance vs time and draw a best-fit curve to show

acceleration. Calculate velocity = distance/time, and draw a velocity vs

time graph.

Data – Mass #1 Mass #2

|Time(ticks) |Dist(cm) |Velocity (cm/tick) |Time(ticks) |Dist(cm) |Velocity |

| | | | | |(cm/tick) |

|10 | | |10 | | |

|15 | | |15 | | |

|20 | | |20 | | |

|25 | | |25 | | |

|30 | | |30 | | |

|35 | | |35 | | |

|40 | | |40 | | |

|45 | | |45 | | |

Results - Estimate acceleration from the slope of the velocity vs time graph.

Conclusion - Does the heavier mass accelerate faster than the lighter mass?

Example why the acceleration is the either same or different.

Part 3: Free Fall

Materials - stop watch, metric tape measure, falling objects

Procedure - using various place around the school, time an object falling

Measure time to 1/100 s

Measure distance to 1/100 m

For each set of data calculate g = 2 x d / t2

Data –

|Distance (m) |Time (s) |Gravity (m/s2) |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Results - expected value for gravity is 9.81 m/s2 – find % error

%error = (|expected – observed| / expected) x 100%

Conclusion - Does gravity accelerate all masses at the same rate?

Are there any qualifications to your answer?

What might have caused the error in our measurement/calculation?

Sample Graph Results

Constant velocity slope is velocity

trial #2

distance (m)

trial #1

time (sec)

Constant acceleration slope is velocity

distance (m)

time (ticks or sec)

Constant acceleration slope is acceleration

velocity (m/sec)

time (ticks or sec)

|Lab Report Rubric |

|Looking For… |Way! (2 Pts) |Part Way (1 Pt) |No Way (0 Pts) |

|Title Page with clear information |Colorful and creative with your name,|Title page with some information |No title page |

|about your Lab Exercise |period, date, diagrams or internet |about you and the exercise |No Way! |

| |images | | |

|Purpose: Statement of the reason |Clearly stated purpose in your own |Purpose copied word for word from lab|No purpose |

|for this lab |words, does not have to be a complete|specifications |No Way! |

| |sentence | | |

|Materials: Detailed list of |Neat listing of each piece of |Equipment with less than precise |No materials |

|equipment used in your exercise |equipment with correct spelling |names (i.e. heat thingy rather than |No Way! |

| | |thermometer) | |

|Procedure: |Numbered step by step listing of |Steps copied word for word from lab |No procedure |

|Thorough list of operations |everything that was done in your own |specifications |No Way! |

|performed |words | | |

|Data: (X2) |Clearly labeled charts showing all |Lots of numbers and readings written |No data |

|Measurements taken during the |data recorded during the exercise |on paper in no particular order, no |No Way! |

|exercise |including units of measure |units of measure | |

|Calculations: (X2) |Mathematical solution to equations in|Answers to calculations without the |No calculations |

|Equations for interpreting your |a sequential order, graph results |equations or solution sequence, |No Way! |

|data |where possible or requested in lab |missing graph, no measurement units | |

| |specifications | | |

|Conclusions: (X2) |Determine percent error where |Answer simple questions about what |No conclusions |

|What does your data show or imply |possible and explain reason, |happened, try to look at the big |No Way! |

| |precision of your data, how is this |picture | |

| |important in the real world | | |

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