2.

5 GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION Hypothesis: Gravitational acceleration does not depend on an objects mass Aim of the experiment: To measure the acceleration due to gravity Variables: Manipulated: Mass, m Responding: Gravitational acceleration, g Apparatus/Materials: Ticker-timer, ticker tape, A.C. power supply, retort stand, weights (50 g 250 g), G-clamp, cellophane tape, soft board Setup :

Procedure: 1. Apparatus is setup as shown in the diagram above. 2. One end of the ticker tape is attached to a 50 g weight with cellophane tape, and the other end is passed through the ticker timer. 3. The ticker-timer is switched on and the weight is released so that it falls onto the soft board. 4. The ticker-timer is switched off when the weight lands on the soft board. 5. Gravitational acceleration is calculated from the middle portion of the ticker tape. 6. The experiment is repeated with weights of mass 100 g, 150 g, 200 g, and 250 g. Results:

Analysis: From the table above, it is found that the gravitational acceleration for all the weights of different masses are the same. Discussion: 1. The value of the gravitational acceleration, g obtained is less than the standard value of 9.81 ms-2 2. This is because the weight is not falling freely. It is affected by: i) Air resistance ii) Friction between ticker tape and ticker-timer Conclusion: Gravitational acceleration is not dependent on the mass of the object. Hypothesis proven.