Experiment No.

3
UNIFORM ACCELERATED MOTION

INTRODUCTION
Acceleration is defined as the time rate of change in velocity. It can be due to changing speed and/or
changing direction. Uniformly accelerate motion means a constant change in velocity per constant time
interval, where its acceleration is constant throughout its travel. One of the classic example of a uniformly
accelerated motion is a free fall.
In the absence of air resistance, all bodies near the surface of the earth fall at the same acceleration.
The acceleration of a free falling body is called the acceleration due to gravity, g, with a value of 9.8m/s2
and is directed downward, toward the center of the earth.
In this experiment, students will conduct an experiment showing conditions for uniform accelerated
motion, especially a free fall.

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the experiment, you should be able to:
 determine the relationship of velocity, distance, and time for a uniform accelerated motion,
 experimentally prove the value of acceleration due to gravity, and;
 Determine the effect of angle of inclination to the acceleration in a linear track.
MATERIALS
linear track string meterstick metal ball scissors
protractor

PROCEDURE
A. Linear Track
1. Measure the length of the inclined plane and mark 3 divisions with equal lengths.
2. Set-up the inclined plane making 10o with the ground. Make the metal ball roll without applying a force.
Record the time of travel of the ball from the top to the different marks on the inclined plane. Compute its
acceleration
3. Repeat steps A1-A2 at different angle.
4. Record your data on Table 1.
5. Make a graph of (a) distance and time and (b) velocity and time for each angle.
B. Free Fall
1. Find a location above the ground. Hold the tip of a string and drop the rest of the string to ground and
cut the string perpendicular to the ground. Measure the length of the string using a meterstick, this will
be the height (y) of your experiment.
2. From the same position, drop the metal ball and determine the time of fall.
3. Compute the value of acceleration using the first equation of kinematics. Compare this to the accepted
value of g using the percent error.
Theoretica l  Experiment al
%E  x100%
Theoretica l
4. Repeat steps B1-B3 at different locations. Record all your data on table 2.
5. Make a graph between height and time.
Name: JUDE AARON A. LABUGUEN Course & Year: BS METEOROLOGY Date: SEPT. 11, 2019
RESULTS
Table 1
θ Distance (m) Time (s) Velocity(m/s) Acceleration(μ)

.92 2.26 .8142 0.3535

10° 1.84 3.26 1.1288

2.76 3.95 1.3975

.92 2.09 .8804 0.4733

20° 1.84 2.75 1.3190

2.76 3.24 1.7037

.92 1.53 1.7026 0.8518

30° 1.84 2.09 1.7608

2.76 2.44 2.2623

Analysis:
Based on the experiment we performed and on the data the we've gathered, the greater the slope/angle of the
platform, the lesser the time it takes to travel downward at a certain point which means they are indirectly
proportional. But as the inclination broadens from the ground, the velocity increases which also means that
they are directly proportional. For the acceleration, the higher the inclination, the greater the acceleration is.

Table 2
acceleration due to gravity
Height (m) Time (s)
Experimental Theoretical % Error

1 4.67 1.01 9.1560 m/s2 6.57%

2 1.73 0.6 9.6 m/s2 9.8m/s2 1.93%

3 2.3 0.7 9.3878 m/s2 4.18%

Analysis:
On the free fall experiment, it was analyzed that the longer it falls, the faster it travels. And based on the data
gathered, the higher the initial position, the lesser the acceleration attained compared to the other heights
used. The lower the initial position, the lesser the percent of error will occur. One of factors that can affect
all is due to the presence of air resistance.
Computation:
Table 1
Velocity Computation
𝟐𝒍
𝒗𝒇 = 𝒕
10°
𝟐(.𝟗𝟐)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = 𝟐.𝟐𝟔𝒔 =. 𝟖𝟏𝟒𝟐𝒎/𝒔
𝟐(𝟏.𝟖𝟒)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟐𝟖𝟖𝒎/𝒔
𝟑.𝟐𝟔𝒔
𝟐(𝟐.𝟕𝟔)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟏. 𝟑𝟗𝟕𝟓𝒎/𝒔
𝟑.𝟗𝟓𝒔
20°
𝟐(.𝟗𝟐)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = =. 𝟖𝟖𝟎𝟒𝒎/𝒔
𝟐.𝟎𝟗𝒔
𝟐(𝟏.𝟖𝟒)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟏. 𝟑𝟏𝟗𝟎𝒎/𝒔
𝟐.𝟕𝟓𝒔
𝟐(𝟐.𝟕𝟔)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟎𝟑𝟕𝒎/𝒔
𝟑.𝟐𝟒𝒔
30°
𝟐(.𝟗𝟐)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟎𝟐𝟔𝒎/𝒔
𝟏.𝟓𝟑𝒔
𝟐(𝟏.𝟖𝟒)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟔𝟎𝟖𝒎/𝒔
𝟐.𝟎𝟗𝒔
𝟐(𝟐.𝟕𝟔)𝒎
𝒗𝒇 = = 𝟐. 𝟐𝟔𝟐𝟑𝒎/𝒔
𝟐.𝟒𝟒𝒔

Acceleration Computation
𝑽𝒇 − 𝑽𝒊
𝒂=
𝒕

10°
𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟒𝟐 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟑𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟐. 𝟐𝟔
𝟏. 𝟏𝟐𝟖𝟖 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟒𝟔𝟑𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟑. 𝟐𝟔
𝟏. 𝟑𝟗𝟕𝟓 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟓𝟑𝟖𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟑. 𝟗𝟓

20°
𝟏. 𝟖𝟖𝟎𝟒 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟐𝟏𝟐𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟐. 𝟎𝟗
𝟏. 𝟑𝟏𝟗𝟎 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟕𝟐𝟖𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟐. 𝟕𝟓
𝟏. 𝟕𝟎𝟑𝟕 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟐𝟓𝟖𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟑. 𝟐𝟒

30°

𝟏. 𝟕𝟎𝟐𝟔 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟕𝟖𝟔𝟎𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟏. 𝟓𝟑
𝟏. 𝟕𝟔𝟎𝟖 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟒𝟐𝟓𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟐. 𝟎𝟗
𝟐. 𝟐𝟔𝟐𝟑 − 𝟎
𝒂= = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟐𝟕𝟎𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝟐. 𝟒𝟒
 Average acceleration
𝜮𝒂
𝒖= 𝒏
10°
.𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟑+.𝟑𝟒𝟔𝟑+.𝟑𝟓𝟑𝟖
𝒖= =. 𝟑𝟓𝟑𝟓
𝟑

.𝟒𝟐𝟏𝟐+.𝟒𝟕𝟐𝟖+.𝟓𝟐𝟓𝟖
20° 𝒖= =. 𝟒𝟕𝟑𝟑
𝟑

.𝟕𝟖𝟔𝟎+.𝟖𝟒𝟐𝟓+.𝟗𝟐𝟕𝟎
30° 𝒖= =. 𝟖𝟓𝟏𝟖
𝟑

Table 2

Experimental Computation

𝟐𝒍
𝒂=
𝒕𝟐

𝟐(𝟒.𝟔𝟕)
1. 𝒂= = 𝟗. 𝟏𝟓𝟓𝟗
(𝟏.𝟎𝟏)𝟐

𝟐(𝟏.𝟕𝟑)
2. 𝒂 = = 𝟗. 𝟔𝟏
(𝟔)𝟐

𝟐(𝟐.𝟑)
3. 𝒂= = 𝟗. 𝟑𝟖𝟕𝟖
(𝟕)𝟐

% Error Computation

𝟎⁄ 𝑬 = (𝟗.𝟖−𝒂) × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎 𝟗.𝟖

𝟗.𝟖−𝟗.𝟏𝟓𝟓𝟗
1. 𝟎⁄𝟎 𝑬 = ( ) × 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟔. 𝟓𝟕%
𝟗.𝟖

𝟗.𝟖−𝟗.𝟔𝟏𝟏
2. 𝟎⁄𝟎 𝑬 = ( ) × 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟏. 𝟗𝟑
𝟗.𝟖

𝟗.𝟖−𝟗.𝟑𝟖𝟕𝟖
3. 𝟎⁄𝟎 𝑬 = ( ) × 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟒. 𝟐𝟏%
𝟗.𝟖
Graph:

Table 1

10° 20°
4
4
3.5
3.5
3
3
2.5 (3.24,2.76)
2.5 (3.95,2.76)

distance
2
distance

2
(2.75,1.84)
(3.26,1.84) 1.5
1.5
1
1 (2.09,0.92)
0.5
0.5
0 (0,0)
0 (0,0)
2.26 3.26 3.95 -0.5
-0.5 time
time
Distance/Time

30°
4
3.5
3
2.5 (2.44,2.76)
distance

2
(2.09,1.84)
1.5
1
(1.53,0.92)
0.5
0 (0,0)
-0.5
time
Velocity/Time
 Table 2
Height/ Time

height/time in Free fall

5 4.67
4.5
4
3.5
3
height

2.3
2.5
2 1.73

1.5
1
0.5
0
1.01 0.6 0.7
time
Question 1: Can an object’s speed increase if its acceleration decreases? Explain.
Yes, an object's speed can increase even if the acceleration decreases. In a situation where the change
in velocity of an object is less, the acceleration would be smaller relative to a situation in which the
change in velocity over the same time is larger.
Question 2. Can an object have constant velocity and still have a varying speed? Explain.
No, an object can not have a varying speed if its velocity is constant because velocity is a vector quantity,
which have magnitude as well as direction.
Question 3. Can we use time to determine height of a building? If yes, how? If no, why?
Yes, if there is no force working on yhe object that's falling, or air resistance is neglected, we can
calculate the height of a buildingusing the time. By using the formula, y=Vi(t)-1/2g(t)^2 where Vi= initial velocity
which is zero, t= time it reaches the ground, g= gravitational acceleration which is -9.8m/s^2
Conclusion:

In determining the relationship of velocity, distance, and time for a uniform accelerated motion,
based on the experiment conducted, The relationship of velocity and time is, the longer the acceleration, the
greater the change in velocity. Change in velocity is directly proportional to time when acceleration is constant.
While the displacement of a moving object is directly proportional to both velocity and time.
Experimentally speaking, i have concluded that the expected value of acceleration due to gravity near
9.8m/s^2 no matter how heavy or light the mass on an object is. And also, we can calculate the height of a
building by using time
In Determining the effect of angle of inclination to the acceleration in a linear track, it was observed
that If you increase the steepness of the ramp, then you will increase the acceleration of the metal ball which
rolls down the ramp. Therefore, only the component of the gravitational force which points along the direction
of the ball's motion can accelerate the ball.