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 #1Mass #2

Time(ticks) / Dist(cm) / Velocity (cm/tick) / Time(ticks) / Dist(cm) / Velocity (cm/tick)
5 / 5
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 velocityslope is velocity

trial #2

distance (m)

trial #1

time (sec)

Constant accelerationslope is velocity

distance (m)

time (ticks or sec)

Constant accelerationslope 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 about your Lab Exercise / Colorful and creative with your name, period, date, diagrams or internet images / Title page with some information about you and the exercise / No title page
No Way!
Purpose: Statement of the reason for this lab / Clearly stated purpose in your own words, does not have to be a complete sentence / Purpose copied word for word from lab specifications / No purpose
No Way!
Materials: Detailed list of equipment used in your exercise / Neat listing of each piece of equipment with correct spelling / Equipment with less than precise names (i.e. heat thingy rather than thermometer) / No materials
No Way!
Procedure:
Thorough list of operations performed / Numbered step by step listing of everything that was done in your own words / Steps copied word for word from lab specifications / No procedure
No Way!
Data: (X2)
Measurements taken during the exercise / Clearly labeled charts showing all data recorded during the exercise including units of measure / Lots of numbers and readings written on paper in no particular order, no units of measure / No data
No Way!
Calculations: (X2)
Equations for interpreting your data / Mathematical solution to equations in a sequential order, graph results where possible or requested in lab specifications / Answers to calculations without the equations or solution sequence, missing graph, no measurement units / No calculations
No Way!
Conclusions: (X2)
What does your data show or imply / Determine percent error where possible and explain reason, precision of your data, how is this important in the real world / Answer simple questions about what happened, try to look at the big picture / No conclusions
No Way!