Fencing

Evan Simon
Michaela, Abbi, Chris
October 23rd 2014

Purpose
This lab teaches students the affect of gravity on a falling object. In this lab a student
will be able to measure the acceleration of a falling object to better than 0.5% precision
using a computer. During this lab all of the variables are constant. Each time the student
will use the same fence, stand and sensor. The only variable that might have the
tendency to change is the height at which the fence is dropped.

Materials

Picket Fence Free Fall Lab Packet

Photogate
Computer
Logger Pro Program
Fence

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Securely connect the Photogate to a table.

Connect the Photogate to the DIG/SONIC slot on the Vernier computer interface.
Open Logger Pro on the computer.
Check that the Photogate is registering on the Logger Pro program.
When you are ready click the
button. The Photogate will start
collecting data when the sensor is broken for the first time.
6. Look at the recorded graphs and record the slope.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to get the rest of the slope data.

Data
Table 1
Trial

Slope (m/s2)

9.834

9.678

9.973

9.9

9.679

9.665

Table 2

Acceleration (m/s2)

Minimum

Maximum

Average

9.665

9.973

9.788

Table 3
Average Acceleration due to
gravity

9.788 0.154 m/s2

Percent Error

1.2%

Analysis
1. The position vs. time graph looked like a slow curve going upwards.
2. The velocity vs. time graph looked like a straight line increasing. Both graphs have a
slope of about 9.8.
3. If you throw the fence up the acceleration would be in the opposite direction. If you
drop the fence from a higher spot it would still not affect the velocity or acceleration
graphs.
4. The value of g varies around the world because of the atmosphere. The pressure in
the atmosphere affects the value of g.

Conclusion

The main purpose for the Picket Fence Lab was to prove that an object free falling is
affected by gravity. For each test during the lab the slope of the velocity graph was
recorded. When the recorded data was analyzed one could tell that the acceleration of
an object free falling is about 9.8m/s/s. The results of this lab did support the purpose of
this lab. When the data is collected and used in a calculation one can determine that the
acceleration of gravity is about 9.8m/s/s on an object that is free falling. This is
supported by the fact that the average acceleration for all of the tests is 9.788 which can
be rounded to 9.8. The results of this lab can be incorrect because of the affects that the
person has on that falling object. A way this could happen is if the person who drops the
fence gives it more force then dropping it. The person could give it a push in the
negative or positive direction which would alter the data. One way that this lab ties into
the real world is if there is a meteor falling to earth. It can be calculated the speed of the
meteor. It can also be calculated the place where the meteor will land.