Ma. Nikki C.

Ramirez 12 – STEM - Diligence

Activity 3
THE BALL ROLLING IN AN INCLINED PLANE

I- Objectives:
1. To be able to observe and measure motion on an inclined plane.
2. To be able to find the acceleration and velocity of the ball rolling down the
inclined plane using kinematics.
3. To understand how to draw and interpret a “best fit” on a graph of
experimental data.
4. To determine and understand the relationship between distance, time,
displacement, velocity and acceleration.

II- Problem:
1. What is the motion of a ball rolling in an inclined plane in terms of speed,
velocity, acceleration?

III- Hypothesis:
Hypothesis A: Distance is directly proportional to the square of time if
acceleration is uniform
Hypothesis B: Rate of acceleration is proportional to incline of ramp
Hypothesis C: Objects will reach the same speed from a given height
regardless of inclined

IV- Materials:

 Digital Camera with video editor (ringmaster)

 Tool kit for rolling ball on an inclined plane (small ball, coupon
bond paste together to form 1 meter in length, with visible label
from 0cm, 20cm, 40cm, 60cm, 80cm and 100cm). The label must
be written legibly with pentelpen. The coupon bond with label will
be pasted on a ramp with minimum of 100 cm to a maximum of at
least 150cm in length.
 Graphing paper, ruler, pentel pen
 Laptop

V- Procedure:
1. Paste together a coupon bond to a length of 1meter. Then fold it vertically to divide
the width equally. Cut the 1-meter length coupon at the mid-part to divide it
equally. Refer to the figure below.
2. Then pick the other half and write on it a marking from 0cm to 100 cm using a ruler
or meter stick. See to it that the label must be written at the center of the coupon on
top of the line. Refer to the figure below.

3. Paste the coupon bond to a plank of wood to serve as an inclined plane. See to it
that the 100 cm mark must be at the tip of the ramp that is lowest part of the
inclined plane. Refer to the figure below.

4. Using a raiser (like books, chairs or table) raise your plank to a height of 10 cm. See to
it that the 100 cm marking is on the height of 10cm. Then, place the edge of the ball
on top of the line that is mark as 100cm. Refer to the figure below.

Height
of 10cm

Edge of the
ball is on top
of the 100cm
mark
5. Three members of the group must hold a mobile phone ready for getting a video
recording. The camera must be aimed to the ramp in such a way that the markings
written on the coupon bond are visible in the camera. Start recording before one
member of the group release the ball and let it roll down the inclined plane. Stop the
recording once the ball is out of the tip of the ramp.

6. Per phone use in recording will represent a trial. There are three trials per release of
the ball for there are 3 phones used for recording.

7. Repeat procedure 4-6, this time placing the ball at 80 cm.

8. Repeat procedure 4-6 for the position 60cm, 40cm and 20cm
9. Repeat procedure 4, this time raising the plank to a height of 50cm. Then repeat
procedure 5 to 6.

10. Repeat procedure 4, this time raising the plank to a height of 100cm. Then repeat
procedure 5 to 6.

11. Raise the plank to a height that produces 10 o from the floor. Use the equation sin10
x (length of plank; first position is 100cm). Then, repeat multiplying sin10 to 80, 60,
40, 20 and 0)

12. Determine the length of the plank in x-axis as the magnitude of the plank changes
from 100cm to 0cm, by using derived Pythagorean theorem b 2=√c2-a2. Then,
determine the vector representation of your given data. Enter your data to table 1,
2 and 3 for the angle 10o, 20o and 50o respectively. Refer to data table 1 under the
observation part, as the first two rows are already given and serve as your example.

13. Complete your data table 1, 2 and 3 under the observation part of this activity. Refer
to table 1, as the first two rows were already done to serve as your example. 
14. Ask your teacher how to manipulate the video recording using the kinemaster to
determine the time elapsed as the ball roll down the ramp for all the trials you have
done.

15. Enter all the necessary observation for all the trials of determining the elapsed time
in seconds (e.g. 1.830 or 0.802) as the ball rolls down the inclined plane. Then, divide
the ave t with percentage of frame per seconds equal to 0.80. Enter the result in
column no. 8. Finally, divide distance x with ave t and enter it to column 9. Refer to
the example table below.

Note: The highlighted row is just only a hypothetical example.

16. Complete your data table 4, 5 and 6 by doing procedure 15

17. Complete the table 7, 8 and 9 by plotting the average t divide by 0.80 to column 3,
then square it and enter the product to column 4 and finally multiply distance with 2
and enter it to column 5. Refer to the example table below.
 Note: The highlighted row is just only a hypothetical example.

18. Plot manually or use an excel to plot the d vs t, d vs t2 and 2d vs t2 graphs.

19. Use only one graph for all the three angles (10 o, 20o and 50o) to plot each of these
graphs; d vs t, d vs t2 and 2d vs t2.

20. For the d vs t2 and 2d vs t2 graphs you must determine the best fit graphs for the 3
angles used; (10o, 20o and 50o). If you plot it using excel use the function of x option
for the scatter graphs to determine the of your graph

VI-OBSERVATION:

A. Data Table:

Table 1: Rolling ball @ 10o angle ramp

Distance
Magnitude Height
[√ c2-a2]
Angle (cm) (y in cm) a2 c2 c2-a2 vector
(x in cm)
c a
b

10 100 17.36 301.54 10000 9698.46 98.48 98.48x+17.36y

10 80 13.89 192.98 6400 6207.02 78.78 78.78x+13.89y

10 60 10.42 108.55 3600 3491.45 59.09 59.09x+10.42y

10 40 6.95 48.25 1600 1551.75 39.39 39.39x+6.95y

10 20 3.47 12.06 400 387.94 19.70 19.70x+3.47y

10 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0.00x+0.00y

Table 2: Rolling ball @ 20o angle ramp

Distance
Magnitude Height
[√ c2-a2]
Angle (cm) (y in cm) a2 c2 c2-a2 vector
(x in cm)
c a
b

20 100 34.20 1169.78 10000 8830.22 93.97 93.97x+34.20y

20 80 27.36 748.66 6400 5651.34 75.18 75.18x+27.36y

20 60 20.52 421.12 3600 3178.88 56.38 56.38x+20.52y

20 40 13.68 187.16 1600 1412.84 37.59 37.59x+13.68y

20 20 6.84 46.79 400 353.21 18.79 18.79x+6.84y

20 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0.00x+0.00y

Table 3: Rolling ball @ 50o angle ramp

Distance
Magnitude Height
[√ c2-a2]
Angle (cm) (y in cm) a2 c2 c2-a2 vector
(x in cm)
c a
b

50 100 76.60 5868.24 10000 4131.76 64.28 64.28x+76.60y

50 80 61.28 3755.67 6400 2644.33 51.42 51.42x+61.28y

50 60 45.96 2112.57 3600 1487.43 38.57 38.57x+45.96y

50 40 30.64 938.92 1600 661.08 25.71 25.71x+30.64y

50 20 15.32 234.73 400 165.27 12.86 12.86x+15.32y

50 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0.00x+0.00y

Table 4: Rolling ball @ 10o angle ramp for 3 different trials

Trial (s) Ave t divide

percentage
of fps (in
Angle Height Distance T1 T2 T3 Ave t sec t2 d/t
(x-cm) b (sec) calculated
(y-cm) a (s2)
in terms of
fps)

10 17.36 98.48 1.185 1.189 1.195 1.189 1.486 2.208 66.272

10 13.89 78.78 1.159 1.150 1.157 1.155 1.444 2.085 54.557

10 10.42 59.09 1.145 1.136 1.138 1.139 1.424 2.028 41.496

10 6.95 39.39 1.124 1.092 1.108 1.108 1.385 1.918 28.440

10 3.47 19.70 0.886 0.864 0.883 0.887 1.109 1.229 17.764

10 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 00.000

Table 5: Rolling ball @ 20o angle ramp for 3 different trials

Trial (s) Ave t divide

percentage
of fps (in
Angle Height(y- Distance T1 T2 T3 Ave t sec t2 d/t
cm) a (x-cm) b (sec) calculated
in terms of (s2)
fps)

20 34.20 93.97 0.903 0.881 0.905 0.896 1.12 1.254 83.90

20 27.36 75.18 0.829 0.853 0.825 0.835 1.044 1.090 72.01

20 20.52 56.38 0.805 0.747 0.789 0.780 0.975 0.951 57.83

20 13.68 37.59 0.690 0.656 0.636 0.660 0.825 0.681 45.56

20 6.84 18.79 0.458 0.489 0.458 0.468 0.585 0.342 32.12

20 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 00.00

Table 6: Rolling ball @ 50o angle ramp for 3 different trials

Trial (s) Ave t divide

percentage
of fps (in
Angle Height(y- Distance T1 T2 T3 Ave t sec t2 d/t
cm) a (x-cm) b (sec) calculated
in terms of (s2)
fps)

50 76.60 64.28 0.606 0.619 0.619 0.614 0.768 0.590 83.70

50 61.28 51.42 0.530 0.572 0.545 0.544 0.686 0.471 75

50 45.96 38.57 0.460 0.483 0.480 0.474 0.593 0.352 65.04

50 30.64 25.71 0.366 0.369 0.392 0.375 0.469 0.246 54.82

50 15.32 12.86 0.241 0.239 0.267 0.249 0.311 0.097 41.35

50 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.00

Table 7: Kinematics data of a ball rolling at 10 o angle

Distance Ave t in sec

(calculated in
Angle (x in cm) t2 2d
terms of fps)
d (s2) (cm)

10 98.48 1.486 2.208 196.96

10 78.78 1.444 2.085 157.56

10 59.09 1.424 2.028 118.18

10 39.39 1.385 1.918 78.78

10 19.70 1.109 1.229 39.4

10 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000

Table 8: Kinematics data of a ball rolling at 20 o angle

Distance Ave t in sec

(calculated in
Angle (x in cm) t2 2d
terms of fps)
d (s2) (cm)

20 93.97 1.12 1.254 187.94

20 75.18 1.044 1.090 150.36

20 56.38 0.975 0.951 112.76

20 37.59 0.825 0.681 75.18

20 18.79 0.585 0.342 37.58

20 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000

Table 9: Kinematics data of a ball rolling at 50 o angle

Distance Ave t in sec

(calculated in
Angle (x in cm) t2 2d
terms of fps)
d (s2) (cm)

50 64.28 0.768 0.590 128.56

50 51.42 0.686 0.471 102.84

50 38.57 0.593 0.352 77.14

50 25.71 0.469 0.246 47.42

50 12.86 0.311 0.097 25.72

50 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000

B. Graph
C. Guide Questions:

Q for Table 1, 2 &3

1. What does the vector represent?

Answer: The vector represents the magnitude and displacement.

2. What does the x and y variables represent?

Answer: The x variable represents the displacement, while the y variables represent
the magnitude.

3. What part of the vector the length of the ramp represents?

Answer: The length of the ramp is represented by the magnitude (c).

4. How does the x and y value changes as the ball rolls down the ramp?
Answer: As the ball rolls down the ramp, the x and y values changes in decreasing
manner.

Q for Table 4, 5 & 6

5. What happens to the value of last column for table 4, 5, and 6 as the ball rolls down the
ramp?
Answer: The values in last column for table 4, 5, and 6 as the ball rolls down the ramp,
decreases.

6. What is represented by this value?

Answer: These values represents the velocity.

Q for Table 7, 8 & 9

1. What kind of graph is produced by d vs t graph? What it suggests about the slope of the
graph?
Answer: The kind of graph that was produced by d vs. t graph is parabola. The slope of
parabola graph suggests that there is increase in velocity.
 2. What kind of graph is produced by d vs t2 graph? What it suggests about the slope of the
graph? What will be the time elapsed if the ball is at this distances (200cm, 75cm and 5
cm)?
Answer: The kind of graph that was produced by d vs. t 2 graph is parabola. The slope
of parabola graph suggests that there is increase in velocity.

Distance (cm) Angle Time elapsed (sec)

10 5.577
200 20 2.829
50 1.854
10 2.261
75 20 0.962
50 0.691
10 0.404
5 20 0.140
50 0.040

3. What is the final value of the slope if you multiply it by 2? What is this product it
represents?
Answer: The final product represents the acceleration of the moving ball downwards.

Angle Slope Final Value of Slope

(slope x 2)
10 37.694 75.388
20 72.522 145.044
50 107.49 214.98

4. What kind of graph is produced by 2d vs. t2 graph? What it suggests about the slope of
the graph? What will be the time elapsed if the ball is at this distances (200cm, 75cm
and 5 cm)?
Answer: The kind of graph that was produced by 2d vs. t 2 graph is linear. The slope of
the graph suggests that there is constant (uniform) acceleration.

Distance (cm) Angle Time elapsed (sec)

10 2.381
200 20 1.450
50 0.924
10 0.723
75 20 0.445
50 0.345
10 0.205
5 20 0.037
50 0.020

VII-CONCLUSION

How do you describe the distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration of the
ball rolling down an inclined plane?
Answer: I therefore conclude that, as the ball rolls down an inclined plane, as the
angle of the inclined plane increases, the velocity and speed also increases while its
acceleration remains constant or uniform.