Experiment No.

5
LINEAR MOTION

I. Objectives
To learn how to calculate values of acceleration from position and time
measurements of an object that is moving with constant acceleration
Understand graphical presentations of position changes as a function of time
Demonstrate that acceleration due to gravity is independent of the mass of
object
Analyze the motion of an object in free fall
Measure the acceleration of gravity of an object in free fall

II. Data and Analysis

A. FREE FALL
Ball 1 mass: __5__ g diameter: __110__mm

Distance h
travelled (cm)
Trials (time in s) t
ave
(s)
Acceleration
(m/s
2
) t1 t2 t3
1 200 0.25 0.23 0.23 0.24 8.33 m/s
2

2 175 0.24 0.24 0.22 0.23 7.61 m/s
2

3 150 0.10 0.15 0.14 0.13 11.54 m/s
2

4 75 0.14 0.15 0.15 0.15 5 m/s
2


Ball 2 mass: __2.5__ g diameter: __70__mm

Distance h
travelled (cm)
Trials (time in s) t
ave
(s)
Acceleration
(m/s
2
) t1 t2 t3
1 300 0.25 0.18 0.19 0.19 15.79 m/s
2

2 225 0.17 0.18 0.17 0.17 13.24 m/s
2

3 150 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 8.33 m/s
2

4 75 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.14 5.36 m/s
2




Ball 3 mass: __1.5__ g diameter: __50__mm

Distance h
travelled (cm)
Trials (time in s) t
ave
(s)
Acceleration
(m/s
2
) t
1
t
2
t
3

1 300 0.20 0.18 0.19 0.19 15.79 m/s
2

2 225 0.15 0.18 0.17 0.17 13.24 m/s
2

3 150 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 8.33 m/s
2

4 75 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.14 5.36 m/s
2


B. UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED LINEAR MOTION

Table B1 angle = _10
o
_ degrees (10
o
)
Distance
travelled (m)
Trials (time in s) t
ave
(s)
Acceleration
(m/s
2
) t
1
t
2
t
3

d1= 0.24 0.52 0.48 0.47 0.49 11.51 m/s
2

d2= 0.48 0.67 0.63 0.58 0.63 13.92 m/s
2

d3= 0.72 0.89 0.77 0.87 0.84 11.75 m/s
2

d4= 0.96 1.13 1.29 1.17 1.20 7.68 m/s
2

d5= 1.20 1.51 1.50 1.59 1.53 5.90 m/s
2


Table B2 angle = _15
o
_ degrees (15
o
)
Distance
travelled (m)
Trials (time in s) t
ave
(s)
Acceleration
(m/s
2
) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
d1= 0.24 0.58 0.57 0.50 0.55 6.13 m/s
2

d2= 0.48 0.69 0.74 0.72 0.72 7.15 m/s
2

d3= 0.72 1.05 0.93 0.85 0.94 6.30 m/s
2

d4= 0.96 1.14 1.15 1.14 1.14 5.71 m/s
2

d5= 1.20 1.15 1.19 1.29 1.22 6.23 m/s
2


Table C
Distance
travelled (cm)

Trials (time in s)
t
ave
(s)
Difference
between
Intervals (s)
Time in
Natural
Units Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
10 cm 0.14 0.19 0.14 t
1
= 0.14
40 cm 0.71 0.73 0.65 t
2
= 0.70 t
2
- t
1
= 0.56
90 cm 0.86 0.94 1.07 t
3
= 0.96 t
3
- t
2
= 0.26
120 cm 1.22 1.23 1.28 t
4
= 1.24 t
4
t
3
= 0.28



Table D
Distance
travelled (cm)
Time in Natural
Units
Square of Time in
Natural Units
Ratio of Distance to
Square of Time
10 cm
40 cm
90 cm
120 cm