Experiment No.

FREE FALL MOTION

Ciena D. Rullamas

12-6

Group 2

Mr. Eduardo A. Apuyan, LPT

Date Performed:

08/31/2017

Date Submitted:

09/14/2017
 I. ABSTRACT

Free fall is an example of motion, which is the motion of an object only under the influence

of gravity. The acceleration of a free-falling object is constant and equal to the gravitational

acceleration g which is 9.8 m/ 2 .

By the end of the experiment, the value of the acceleration due to gravity which is 9.8 m/ 2

should be verified and the effect of mass of the object to the period and velocity of fall should be

determined. In doing the experiment, the materials such as balls that have different mass,

stopwatch, and tape measure was needed. We started by measuring and putting a mark on a wall

with a height of 2 meters. We then weighed the first ball to be use and positioned it on the markings,

after it, we drop the ball and record the time it takes for the ball to reach the ground and made five

trials of it. Record all the data and do the same procedure on the other ball with a different mass

on the ball that was first used. After having the data, compute for the acceleration due to gravity

using the formulas in free fall motion and compare it with the true value.

The mass of ball 1 weighs 11.72 grams that resulted in an average computed value of g to

10.06 m/ 2 . The computed percent error of it was 2.65%. While the mass of ball 2 weighs 2.46

grams that has an average computed value of g of 11.46 m/ 2 that has a percent error of 16.94%.

The results showed that the higher the mass the faster the object reach the ground than the

object that has lighter mass.

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 II. INTRODUCTION

Motion is a change with time of the position or orientation of a body. There is translation

motion which is a motion along a line or curve and rotation motion that changes the orientation

of a body. In both cases, they have the same velocity and the same acceleration.

An object that is moving only because of the action of gravity is said to be free falling and

its motion is described by Newton's second law. There are two important motion characteristics

that are true of free-falling objects, that free-falling objects do not encounter air resistance and all

free-falling objects accelerate downwards at a rate of 9.8 m/ 2 . In describing a free fall, it was

discovered that objects in free fall motion descent at the same rate and the weight, size, and shape

of an object are not a factor. This means that under free fall, all objects have the same constant

acceleration, which in the metric system is 9.8 m/s2. An object which is falling downward or rising

towards its peak that is under the influence of gravity has an acceleration value of 9.8 m/s/s.

The purpose of doing the experiment is to be able to verify that the value of the acceleration

due to gravity is 9.8 m/ 2 and to determine if the mass of an object affects the period and velocity

of fall.

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 III. SCHEMATIC PROCEDURE

1
Prepare the materials namely
two balls with different mass,
stopwatch and tape measure.

Measure a height of 2 meters and

put a mark on it.
2

3 Weigh the ball to be use.

4
Drop the ball and record the
time it takes to hit the ground
and make five trials of it.

5
Repeat the procedure using
another ball with different
mass.

6
Gather the data and compute
the acceleration due to gravity
and compare it with the true
value.

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 IV. DATA RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Mass of ball 1: 11.72 grams

Trial Height of fall (y), m Time of fall (t), s g, m/ 2

1 2m 0.75 s 7.11 m/ 2

2 2m 0.57 s 12.31 m/ 2

3 2m 0.56 s 12.76 m/ 2

4 2m 0.83 s 5.81 m/ 2

5 2m 0.57 s 12. 31 m/ 2

Average computed value of g 10.06 m/ 2

True value of g 9.8 m/ 2

% error 2.65 %

B. Mass of ball 2: 2.46 grams

Trial Height of fall (y), m Time of fall (t), s g, m/ 2

1 2m 0.70 8.16 m/ 2

2 2m 0.57 s 12.31 m/ 2

3 2m 0.70 s 8.16 m/ 2

4 2m 0.46 s 18.90 m/ 2

5 2m 0.64 s 9.77 m/ 2

Average computed value of g 11.46 m/ 2

True value of g 9.8 m/ 2

% error 16.94 %

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 V. INTERPRETATION OF DATA AND RESULTS

First table above shows an average computed value of g of 10.06 m/ 2 using the ball with

a mass of 11.76 grams with a percent error of 2.65%. While the second table has an average

computed value of g of 11. 46 m/ 2 and a percent error of 16. 94 % using a ball that has a mass of

2.46 grams.

It was shown in the table that the higher the mass, the faster the ball reached the ground.

Since the ball that has mass of 11.76 grams travelled faster than the ball that weighs 2.46 grams.

If a part of the experiment was changed, the results will be affected. For example, the

release of the ball was affected by other factors like friction and air resistance, it will not be

considered as a free-fall because it wasn't under the influence of gravity alone. It can be computed

using the formula for acceleration due to gravity but the results will be wrong since it was affected

by a lot of factors other than gravity.

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 VI. CONCLUSION

The mass of an object doesn't affect the velocity of fall of an object because free falling

object or objects that are influence by gravity alone accelerate downwards at 9.8 m/ 2 . The value

9.8 m/ 2 was constant, so whatever mass an object has, its acceleration will always be the same

if and only if it is only influence by gravity and no other factors.

While the time or period was affected by the mass of an object since the object which is

heavier was faster to reach the ground than the object which was lighter. But when it comes to

the acceleration, they all have the same constant acceleration which is 9.8 m/ 2 .

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 VII. REFERENCES

(n.d.). Introduction to Free Fall. Retrieved September 10, 2017, from

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1Dkin/u1l5a

(n.d.). Free fall motion. Retrieved September 10, 2017, from

http://theory.uwinnipeg.ca/mod_tech/node17.html

(n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-

12/airplane/mofall.html

(n.d.). Kinematic Equations and Free Fall. Retrieved September 10, 2017, from
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson-6/Kinematic-Equations-and-Free-Fall

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. (2017, April 28). Newton's laws of motion. Retrieved
September 11, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/science/Newtons-laws-of-motion