Experiment 7 Projectile Motion Lab Report Scott McConnell Experiment Overview In this lab we observed a ball thrown at an angle

and caught at the same level at a different location. We recorded this throw and analyzed it to find the vertical and horizontal acceleration, velocity and position of the ball with a video camera, a ball, a meter stick, the person throwing it, and logger pro to analyze. Prediction If we record each point of the ball thrown and analyze the velocity and the acceleration of the ball, then we will find that the horizontal acceleration is 0 m/s^2 and the vertical acceleration is -9.8 m/s^2. The velocity then in the horizontal direction will be the exact same the whole time and the vertical velocity will be positive then at some point 0, then at some point negative. I think this because once the ball is released, no force is on the horizontal velocity of the ball except a negligible air resistance. Although, in the vertical direction, there is gravity accelerating the ball always downward. The position of the ball in the x direction will only go one way, whichever direction it is thrown. The y position of the ball will go up, then down and reach the same point. Overall, it will look like a parabola. Procedure First, we set up the camera so that it at about the height we threw the ball at, and about 5 feet away from the thrower. We then practiced throwing the ball in front of the camera to make sure the ball was staying in the shot the whole time as well as to have the thrower practice the ball toss. We then had another person hold a meter stick right under the throwers arms to later calibrate distance. Finally we recorded the thrower throwing the ball about a foot in the air at an angle, and catching it about half a foot to the left. Next we began to analyze the data by first putting the video on the computer and converting it to mp4 format. Then we opened the video in LoggerPro, set the origin of our data and graph at the start of the ball and gave a scale by measuring 10cm on the meter stick. Then we began plotting every point that the ball made along its path from the exit of one hand to the instant before it reached the other. Lastly the data was analyzed through Logger pro which first plotted the position vs time and velocity vs time. Then by taking the derivative of each velocities, we were given a chart and graph of the x and y accelerations. Data and Results: The position vs time graph looks like a parabola for the y position. The x position is a constant positive slope. This shows that the position in the y direction raises up, reaches a peak, then falls back down which shows a change in velocity. The constant positive slope of the x position line shows that the velocity is constant. The velocity vs time graph has two constant velocities. One of them, the x velocity has a slope of -0.733m/s/s which is very close to 0m/s/s. This shows that there is almost no acceleration on the x velocity. The y velocity has a slope of -10.07m/s/s which is very close to the -9.8m/s/s that was predicted. The x velocity has a y intercept of 1.7m/s which shows what the x velocity was at the start of the throw. The y velocity has an intercept of 16.41m/s showing the ball was thrown much harder up

than sideways. The acceleration vs time graph shows a pretty constant x acceleration of around -1.4m/s/s. The line of best fit goes pretty well with the data here showing there was essentially no x acceleration. The y acceleration on the other hand is very scattered with a line of best fit which doesn't correlate very well. It has a positive slope which would suggest that the acceleration was changing. As well it has a y intercept of -72 which would say that the y acceleration started at -72m/s/s/ Analysis The equation for the the x position is x=.6241m/s * t - .7189m. This equations shows the positive slope of the x position. As well, it shows that it is constantly rising and isn't changing. The y intercept -.7189m means it started at -.7189m at the very start. The slope of .6241m/s is how far the ball goes in the x direction every second, .6241m. The y position equation is a parabolic equation which shows that the y position is always changing and not constant. The x velocity equation is Vx= -0.7336m/s/s * t + 1.785m/s. The low slope of this shows that the x velocity does not change much throughout the throw. This minimal change in slope could be a mistake when the data points were taken. Although the points we were given and the equation does lead me to think that the x velocity changes only a very little bit. The x velocity starts at 1.785m/s which is the y intercept. The y velocity equation is Yy = -10.7m/s/s * t + 16.41m/s. The slope of -10.7m/s/s/ shows that the y velocity is changing by -10.7m/s per second. This is very close to what gravity is of -9.81m/s/s which shows that the graph is fairly accurate. As well, it shows that gravity only affects the y velocity. Conclusion The horizontal components of projectile position is a constant positive slope, with almost no change in velocity and almost 0m/s/s acceleration. The vertical component of projectile position is parabolic showing it is constantly changing. Although it has a uniform equation for it, the velocity is always changing. The velocity of the vertical component is constantly decreasing at the rate of gravity which is the acceleration. From all of this, I learned that gravity only affects the y component of projectile motion. As well, these two components, x and y, are independent of each other, one's acceleration does not effect the other.