Colin Christopher 3A 9/23/13 Pre-AP Physics Formal Lab Report Analyzing the Position, Velocity, and Acceleration of a Car

Introduction: Velocity is very related to speed, as it is simply the speed of something in a given direction. Speed is the relationship between rapidity of movement or action. Acceleration is the term used to define what happens when an object gains or loses speed. Displacement is slightly different from distance because it depends on the direction one has moved from its starting point or origin as well as, when observation ends, how far it still is from the origin. Distance is defined by the amount of space that was covered an objects movement. Scalars are measurements which do not depend on the direction that the object moves, only the magnitude or value of its movement. Vectors measure the magnitude as well as direction, and measure things that can move in multiple directions. Purpose: 1. Find and discern differences between data between speed, velocity, distance and displacement. 2. Find acceleration. 3. Create and use motion graphs: a. Position v. Time b. Velocity v. Time c. Acceleration v. Time
X Position of Photogate B x Displacement of Car tAB Time to travel from A to B tA Time to pass through Photogate A tB Time to pass through Photogate B VA Speed at photogate A VB Speed at Photogate B

a
Acceleration of car between Photogate A and B (cm/sec2)

(cm)

(cm)

(sec)

(sec)

(sec)

(cm/sec)

(cm/sec)

20 30 40 50 60 70 80

20 30 40 50 60 70 80

.1227 .2180 .2968 .3630 .4269 .4806 .5325

.0693 .0687 .0684 .0685 .0685 .0686 .0685

.0503 .0399 .0347 .0312 .0287 .0267 .0249

72.15 73.78 73.09 72.99 72.99 72.88 72.99

99.40 125.31 144.09 160.26 174.22 187.26 200.80

222.09 240.96 239.22 240.41 237.13 237.99 240.02

Graphical Analysis: I. Graph 1: Displacement v. TimeAB 1. The units of slope for the displacement v. time graph are cm/s. 2. The slope of the graph represents the speed/velocity of the car. 3. The slope is increasing. 4. The car is gaining speed or accelerating as time passes. Graph 2: SpeedB v. TimeAB 1. The units of slope for the speed v. time graph were cm/sec2. 2. The slope represents acceleration. 3. The slope is increasing and then beginning to level out. 4. The acceleration tells us that as gravity first starts to take effect, the car accelerates but eventually it stops accelerating and the car, if allowed to continue further, would reach a constant velocity. 5. The y-intercept represents initial velocity. 6. Acceleration = Vf V0 / tf - ti 125.31 99.40 / .2180 .1227 25.91 / 0.0953 271.88 cm/sec2 7. Yes, the acceleration is changing because of gravity. 8. ( 9. The units of area would be cm. Graph 3: Acceleration v. Time 1. The slope is constant in this graph. 2. The slope tells you that the car is not accelerating beyond the acceleration that the force of gravity gives it. 3. ( 4. The units of area would be cm/sec3. 5. The velocity

II.

III.

Discussion Questions: 1. Independent Variable Displacement v. Time: TimeAB Speed v. Time: TimeAB Acceleration v. Time: Time 2. Because timeA and timeB are fairly precise and too similar to use for the calculations. 3. Speed would be a more appropriate title because since the object that is being measured is only moving in one direction the entire lab, there is no reason to use a vector like velocity.

4. The two scalars discussed in this lab are distance and speed, and the vectors are velocity and acceleration. 5.

6.

7. One source of error would be the jolt that was caused by the car hitting the bumper. Seeing as the rail/track wasnt very securely based on the surface, it moved and couldve altered the experiment by shifting the photogates and throwing off the time measurements. This wouldve carried through to incorrect calculations and a discrepancy with the x-axis of the first graph and both axes of the second and third graphs (time would affect speed and acceleration). Another error would be the use of incorrect or mixed procedures to calculate the speed. This would then affect the acceleration as well, which would carry into the second and third graphs by making the calculations skewed and inaccurate. One more error couldve been the human error of not being able to perfectly and accurately place the photogates in the intended positions, obviously skewing all findings and affecting all the graphs. While the calculations would still be precise, they would be inevitably wrong if even by a very small amount.