Freefalling Bodies Lab

Sam S, Katie L, Brandon K

Objective 1: Experimentally identify the type of motion experienced when an object falls directly
toward the center of the Earth
Objective 2: Use experimental practices and known relationships to determine the acceleration of
an object freefalling through the Earth’s gravitational field
Data:
Displacement vs. Time
Displacement Average Time Acceleration Average Acceleration
(m) (s) (m/s^2) (m/s^2)
0.1 0.18 6.17
0.2 0.23 7.56
0.3 0.3 6.67
0.4 0.32 7.81
0.5 0.42 5.67
0.6 0.39 7.89
0.7 0.51 5.38
0.8 0.47 7.24
0.9 0.59 5.17 6.652
1 0.57 6.16
1.2 0.6 6.67
1.4 0.66 6.43
1.6 0.69 6.72
1.8 0.72 6.94
2 0.74 7.3

1 2
To determine the acceleration the equation X =X 0 +V 0 t+ at can be used. Because our objects
2
1 2
began at rest, we simplified it to X = a t .
2
 Displacement vs. Time
2.5

2
Displacement (m)
f(x) = 5.04 x² − 1.6 x + 0.31
1.5

0.5

0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Time (s)

Percent Error:
m
Measured Value: 6.7
s2
m
Accepted Value: 9.8
s2

| MeasuredAccepted
Value−Accepted Value
Value |×100 %
|6.7−9.8
9.8 |
× 100 %=31.63 %

Conclusion:
When observing a freefalling, there are some variables that are given, can be measured, and can be
calculated. To start, we already know what initial displacement ( X 0) and initial velocity (V 0) will be. Both
equal zero since our objects all began at rest. To conduct this investigation, we were able to measure
both time (t ) and the final displacement ( X ). Once finding both variables, we were able to find
2x 1 2
acceleration (a) using the equation 2 which we get from the original equation (
a t ). Then using the
t 2
acceleration, we were able to find the final velocity (v) by comparing our acceleration to the gravity of
earth of 9.8 m/s as the acceleration in the final velocity equation ( Vf =Vi+ at ) which we measured out
m
at about 6.7 . Being that the final displacement and time are the variables we measured, creating a
s2
graph with these variables would directly display the data we found as well as provide a straightforward
depiction of the motion of our objects. With further calculation, we could also create a graph consisting
of the time and final velocity. However, we still chose the final displacement and time graph, which
showed a steady, exponential curve. In other words, the rate of change of our objects, the velocity, is
changing by a uniform rate, the acceleration. Therefore, the velocity and time graph would be linear. By
extension, if we chose to graph the acceleration, the acceleration and time graph would be constant,
since this value does not change. In the scenario of a freefalling object, the acceleration represents
gravity. The force of gravity uniformly increases (or decreases depending on direction) the velocity by
m
9.8 . In this way, the change in the position of an objects grows and grows over time, which is clearly
s2
illustrated by the exponential curve of our graph. To continue, the slope of the velocity and time graph
m m
would be 9.8 2 , and the acceleration and time graph would simply be
y=9.8 2 .
s s