Acceleration of Free Fall

Data collection and Processing

Raw Data
Displaceme
nt (m)
0.03
1.82

Time 1 (s)
0.1s
0.0060

Time 2 (s)
0.1s
0.0062

Time 3 (s
0.1s)
0.0061

1.72

0.0063

0.0063

0.0063

1.62

0.0066

0.0066

0.0067

1.52

0.0067

0.0068

0.0071

1.42

0.0071

0.0072

0.0071

1.32

0.0074

0.0074

0.0073

1.22

0.0077

0.0080

0.0079

1.12

0.0084

0.0083

0.0086

1.02

0.0091

0.0089

0.0089

0.92

0.0097

0.0097

0.0099

0.82

0.0011

0.0104

0.0103

Processing Data
1) to calculate the average on time, as 3 values have been taken to increase the accuracy of the data,
(Time1 + Time 2 + Time 3) / 3

For example, when displacement is equal to 1.82, the average time will be
= (0.0060 + 0.0062 + 0.0061) /3
=0.0061 s
2) To calculate the uncertainty on time, the maximum time has to be subtracted by the minimum time and
then, this has to be divided by 2
Uncertainty on time= (max time- min time)/2
For example, when displacement is equal to 1.82, the uncertainty on time will be
Uncertainty = (0.0062 - 0.0060) /2
=0.0001 s
3) This is not the only uncertainty on the time. There also has to be 0.1s added to this uncertainty keeping
Displacement
Time (s)
Uncertainty in account the human errors.
(m) 0.03
1.82

0.0061

on time (s)
0.10

1.72

0.0063

0.10

=0.0001 + 0.1

1.62

0.0066

0.10

=0.1001

1.52

0.0069

0.10

This will be rounded to 3 significant figures making it 0.100 s

1.42

0.0071

0.10

1.32

0.0074

0.10

Below are the average values for time and the uncertainty
on each value of time.

1.22

0.0079

0.10

1.12

0.0084

0.10

1.02

0.0090

0.10

0.92

0.0098

0.11

0.82

0.0073

0.10

For example, when displacement is equal to 1.82, the final

uncertainty on time will be

1) To calculate the velocity, the length of the tube has to be

divided by time. The length of the tube is 0.031m

Velocity = length of the black tube / time

For example, when the time is 0.0061, then the velocity would be
=0.031/0.0061
=5.1 ms-1
Also due to human errors and observational errors, the uncertainty on the length is 0.01m
2) To calculate the uncertainty on the velocity, change in velocity divided by velocity is equal to change in
length divided by length, which is divided, by change in time divided by time.
(v/v) = (l/l) + (t/t)
For example when time is equal to 0.0061, the change in velocity will be
v =5.1((0.01/ 0.031) + / (0.1/0.0061))
v = 0.01
Below are the values for velocity of the black tube for each height
Velocity (ms1
)
5.1

Uncertainty
on velocity
(ms-1)
0.10

1.72

4.9

0.09

1.62

4.7

0.10

1.52

4.5

0.10

1.42

4.4

0.10

1.32

4.2

0.10

Displacement
(m) 0.03
1.82

1.22

3.9

0.01

1.12

3.8

0.10

1.02

3.4

0.09

0.92

3.2

0.09

0.82

4.3

0.10

1) To get a straight line, an equation of linear motion has to be used. The one used for this experiment is
V2= u2 +2aS. Displacement is going to be plotted against velocity2. To calculate the value of velocity2
2) To calculate the value of velocity2, the change is velocity has to be squared. This is equal to 2 multiplied
by change in velocity, which is multiplied by velocity.
For example, when displacement is equal to 1.82, the change in velocity 2 will be
v2 = 2 v v
=2 0.10 5.1
=1.02
Below are the values for the velocity2 and the uncertainty on velocity2

Displacement
(m) 0.03
1.82

Velocity2
(ms-1)
26.01

Uncertainty
on velocity2
(ms-1)
1.02

1.72

24.01

0.88

1.62

22.09

0.94

1.52

20.25

0.90

1.42

19.36

0.88

1.32

17.64

0.84

1.22

15.21

0.10

1.12

14.44

0.76

1.02

11.56

0.61

0.92

10.24

0.58

0.82

18.49

0.86

1) Maximum Gradient is equal to 19.5

2) Minimum gradient is equal to 15.6
3) Therefore average gradient is equal to
=(19.5 + 15.6)/2)
=17.55
4) The uncertainty on Gradient is equal to
= (19.5-15.6)/2
= 1.95

5) The equation of linier motion that is meant to be used is V2= u2

+2aS. Here the final velocity = V, initial velocity = u, acceleration
(gravity) = a and displacement =S. Due to it being a free fall motion,
the initial velocity (u) = 0
6) As the acceleration is the gravitational motion, the symbol of G must
be used. This means that v2= 2gS
g= v2/2S.
7) The gradient that is calculated from the graph is only for v2/S. and
not for v2/2S. Therefore the gravitational acceleration is equal to v2/S
2. As the gradient was eual to 17.55, 2 should divide it.
G = 17.55/2
= 8.8 ms-2
8) The uncertainty on gradient is equal to change in g divided by g
which is equal to change in G divided by G.
g/g=G/G
= 8.8 (1.95/17.55)
= 1.0 ms-2
Therefore, Gravitational acceleration= 8.8 1.0 ms-2

Conclusion and Evaluation

The actual value of acceleration due to gravity is 9.81 m/s2. This is
noted in the K. A. Tsokos Physics for IB diploma book. The value,
which is gotten from the graph, is 8.8 1.0 ms-2. This value is certainly
close to the actual value but not the exact value due to the various
errors such as systematic and human errors.

Errors in the experiment:

1) There was a huge distance between the ruler and the string
making it difficult to read the value on the ruler. This caused a
parallax error
2) The time had one uncertainty value. This was due to systemic
errors measured due to the light gate.
3) There was a great amount of rounding off to various decimal
places. Particularly the graph is only measured to 2 decimal
places, reducing the accuracy of the data.

4) The ruler used to measure the length of the tube had jagged
edges and also it could only read to the minimum value of
0.001m, which made the reading not that, accurate.

5) The ruler was not exactly straight and in line with the sting.

Solution to the errors in the experiment:

1) The distance between the ruler and the string should be reduced
and maybe the set up equipment should be improved.
2) Both the rulers should be in line with each other when they are
stuck
3) The use of a Vernier caliper to measure the tube, would make the
reading of the length of the tube more accurate.
4) More than 2 decimal places could be considered to make the
reading on the graph more accurate and closer to the actual
value.