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Measuring Gravitational Acceleration

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14 views5 pages

Measuring Gravitational Acceleration

Uploaded by

alshaheenjana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Measuring Gravitational Acceleration (g) of a Free-

Falling Object

Objective
To determine the gravitational acceleration (g) by analyzing the relationship between
height and time squared in two ways:
1. Using a practical free-fall experiment.
2. Using the PHeT Projectile Motion simulation.

Background
The acceleration due to gravity, g, represents the rate at which objects accelerate towards
Earth when in free fall, often approximated as 9.81 m/s². When an object is dropped from
rest, the distance y it falls is related to the time t it takes by the equation:

∆y = ½ g t²

Rearranging, we can see that plotting y versus ½ t² should yield a linear graph, where the
slope equals g.

Method 1: Practical Free-Fall Experiment


1. Setup: Use a drop setup where an object can be
released from a known height. Measure the time
taken for the object to hit the ground.
2. Data Collection:
 Measure and record heights ∆y
 For each height, release the object and
measure the fall time t.
3. Calculate ½ t² for each trial and record it in a data
table.
4. Graphing: Plot y (∆y-axis) versus ½ t² (x-axis)
using Excel or graphing software
5. Analysis: Determine g from the slope of the line.
Method 2: Simulation Using PHeT
1. Open the following link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/projectile-motion/latest/projectile-
motion_en.html

2. From the home page of this link, click on lab, from lab window use the provided
controllers to adjust the height (∆y) and the velocity of the lunched ball, the mass,
the objects shape (see the Figure). Adjust the first height and the velocity must be at
zero (Free Fall). Release the ball and use the time meter (control the time meter and
fix it at the final point of the ball) to measure the time needed for the ball to travel in
a vertical direction.
3. Data Collection:
 Measure and record heights ∆y
 For each height, release the object and measure the fall time t.
4. Calculate ½ t² for each trial and record it in a data table.
5. Graphing: Plot y (∆y-axis) versus ½ t² (x-axis) using Excel or graphing software
6. Analysis: Determine g from the slope of the line.

Time meter, click


on the +sign and
drag it to the final
point

You can control the height (y) by


clicking on the + sign on the
canon and then move it up or
down to change y.

Velocity
Final point of
controller
the ball
Data Recording and Answer Sheet

Data Recording
Record your measurements for each trial below:

Object’s shape: sphere diameter 1.5m

Object’s mass: 100kg

Height ∆y (m) Time of Journey (s) ½ t2 (s2)


Trial 1 14 1.69 1.428
Trial 2 11 1.5 1.125
Trial 3 15 1.75 1.531
Trial 4 8 1.28 0.8192
Trial 5 4 0.9 0.405

Graph Analysis
Insert the height versus 1/2 t2 Graph. Display the best-fit line along with the equation of the
line.
The slope = ___________0.1022_________

Error Analysis:
Calculate the percentage error between the theoretical value of g and the value
obtained from the graph’s slope using the formula:

Percentage Error=
( gTheoriticall)
g Theoritical−ggraph
× 100

(( 9.81 −0.2044)/9.81 )×100=(9.6056/ 9.81 )×100≈97.91%

Why might these two values differ? Discuss potential sources of error and how they
might have impacted your results.

Timing Errors

Air Resistance

Measurement of Height

Calibration of Equipment

Graphing and Calculation Errors

Reflection Questions
1. What is a free fall?

Free fall is the motion of an object under the influence of gravity only, with no air
resistance or other forces acting on it. In free fall, the object accelerates toward the
Earth due to gravity.

When we say g = 9.81 m/s2, what does this mean? any object in free fall near Earth's
surface accelerates at a rate of 9.81m/s2 9.81m/s 2 , regardless of its mass.
2. Will the value of (g) change greatly in different parts of Kuwait City? Why?

Yes based on

Altitude

Earth's shape

Local geology

3. Use the slope value to calculate the final velocity.

vf=0.2044m/s2×2s=0.4088m/s

4. An object is thrown up from the surface of earth, Determine the direction of the
acceleration in the following cases:

a. The object is going upward. ( down )


b. The object is at its maximum height. ( down )
c. The object is going downward. ( down )

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