GateWa CC

PHY101 Physics Lab:

ACCELERATION DUE

TO GRA ITY
Purpose
To determine the value of the gravitational acceleration

Theory
When we use the word acceleration we mean the rate at which the velocity of a moving object changes with time. Acceleration is always caused by force gravitational force as one of the fundamental forces of nature. This is the essence of Newtons first law. n todays lab we will measure the acceleration due to the gravitational force e!erted by the earth on two different ty"es of objects# a tennis ball# baseball and a "ing$"ong or golf ball. An object falling near the surface of the earth e!"eriences constant gravitational acceleration. f we dro" the object from the certain distance on a free fall# the distance traveled by an object in a free fall after t seconds is%

d = y = vo t +

1 2 gt 2

&'(

The velocity of an object in free fall after t seconds is% &)( *ere# the "arameters vo and g are# res"ectively# the initial velocity and the acceleration. +alileo first demonstrated this result when he dro""ed cannonballs of different masses &weights( from the ,eaning Tower of -isa to show that although they had different masses# when dro""ed together# they landed together. This ha""ened in this manner because they both e!"erienced the same acceleration. A similar e!"eriment can be done by dro""ing a coin and a feather. When dro""ed in air# the coin always lands first# but when they are dro""ed in a vacuum# an environment where there is no air# they land together. n the coin and feather case# the different velocities are due to the "resence of a force# the frictional force on the coin and the feather due to the "resence of air. n this e!"eriment# you will be dro""ing an object from rest# so that vo = 0. We will assume that the only acceleration "resent is due to the force of gravity. We then obtain the relation that describes the distance the object falls as a function of time

v = v o + gt

d =

1 2. gt 2

&/(

01uation &/( can be used to measure g. All we need to do is to dro" an object through a 2nown distance y and then measure the time t it ta2es to hit the ground. f we 2now both y and t# we can solve e1uation &/( for g#

GWC Acceleration due to g.doc

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g=

2d t2

&3(

4y measuring the travel distance y and the travel time t for an object falling from rest# gravitational acceleration can be determined.

Proce!ure
0ach grou" will dro" three ty"es of objects% -ing$"ong ball# Tennis ball# and baseball. '. 5ne student from the grou" will stand on the laboratory des2 and dro" a "ing "ong ball# tennis# and a baseball from the same height of d 6 '.7 m from the floor. 8uring the lab you will measure the time it ta2es each ball to hit the floor. 9ou also need to measure very accurately distance from which each ball is dro""ed. ). 0ach lab grou" should select ' "ing$"ong ball# ' tennis ball and ' baseball. n order to measure the distance you can use a motion sensor# com"uter set$u" or meter stic2. /. Time it ta2es each ball to hit the floor is measured using a sto"watch. 3. The balls should each first be dro""ed from rest from the height of about '.7 m above the floor. :easure the time it ta2es the ball to hit the floor. ;ecord this number in seconds# in the data table. -erform 3 dro"s for each ball. 7. ,ab "artners should ta2e turns dro""ing the balls so that everyone has dro""ed all balls four times each. <. =sing the meter stic2 or com"uter set$u"# measure the dro" distance# in units of meters# from the dro""ing "oint to the floor. ;ecord this value in your data table as y. >. ?ind the second dro""ing "oint of ).7 m above the floor. @. 8ro" and time all balls four times each. ;ecord the dro" times in the tables below. A. ,ab "artners should alternate "ositions so that everyone has dro""ed both balls four times each from the height of ).7 m from the floor. 'B. Calculate the value of gravitational acceleration g. ''. 8etermine the "ercentage difference between the calculated value of g and the actual value near the surface of the earth# which is A.@B mDs ). The "ercentage difference is found using the following e1uation% (

g 9.8 ) x100% 9.8

12. Calculate the velocity of an object just before it hits the ground% v = v o + gt .

GWC Acceleration due to g.doc

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Da"a Tab#e
Part I: Dropping Ping-pong or golf Ball 5bjects% 4all with mass% m 6 EEEEEEE 2g# distance dro""ed d 6 '.7 m 8ro""ing 8istance d &m(
Calculated gravity g &mDs)(

4all ty"e -ing$"ong -ing$"ong -ing$"ong -ing$"ong Average

:ass of ball &2g(

Time t &sec(

g 9.8 ( ) x100% before it hits 9.8 the ground

&mDs)( &mDs(

Felocity just

5bjects% 4all with mass% m 6 EEEEEEE 2g# distance dro""ed d 6 ).7 m 8ro""ing 8istance d &m(

4all ty"e -ing$"ong -ing$"ong -ing$"ong -ing$"ong Average

:ass of ball &2g(

Time t &sec(

g 9.8 Calculated ( ) x100% before it hits 9 . 8 the ground gravity g

&mDs)(

Felocity just &mDs(

&mDs)(

Part II: Dropping Tennis Ball 5bjects% Tennis ball with mass% m 6 EEEEEEE 2g# distance dro""ed d 6 '.7 m 8ro""ing 8istance d &m( Felocity just &mDs(

4all ty"e Tennis ball Tennis ball Tennis ball Tennis ball Average

:ass of ball &2g(

Time t &sec(

g 9.8 Calculated ( ) x100% before it hits 9.8 the ground gravity g

&mDs)(

&mDs)(

GWC Acceleration due to g.doc

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GateWa CC

5bjects% Tennis ball with mass% m 6 EEEEEEE 2g# distance dro""ed d 6 ).7 m 8ro""ing 8istance d &m( Felocity just &mDs(

4all ty"e Tennis ball Tennis ball Tennis ball Tennis ball Average

:ass of ball &2g(

Time t &sec(

Calculated gravity g &mDs)(

g 9.8 ) x100% before it hits 9.8 the ground

&mDs)(

Part III: Dropping the Baseball 5bjects% 4aseball with mass% m 6 EEEEEEE 2g# distance dro""ed d 6 '.7 m 8ro""ing 8istance d &m( Felocity just &mDs(

4all ty"e 4aseball 4aseball 4aseball 4aseball Average

:ass of ball &2g(

Time t &sec(

g 9.8 Calculated ( ) x100% before it hits 9 . 8 the ground gravity g

&mDs)(

&mDs)(

5bjects% 4aseball with mass% m 6 EEEEEEE 2g# distance dro""ed d 6 ).7 m 8ro""ing 8istance d &m( Felocity just &mDs(

4all ty"e 4aseball 4aseball 4aseball 4aseball Average

:ass of ball &2g(

Time t &sec(

Calculated gravity g &mDs)(

g 9.8 ) x100% before it hits 9.8 the ground

&mDs)(

GWC Acceleration due to g.doc

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$ues"io%s
'. s travel time varies with the mass of the ballG WhyG

). Which ball has the largest velocity just before they hit the floor and whyG

/. What is the gravity at h 6 'BBB 2m above the groundG 3. What ha""ened to the value of gravitational acceleration as you move closer to the center of the 0arthG

<. At what "oint on the 0arth the gravitational acceleration is ma!imumG

Value of "g" Acceleration due to gravity at different locations

-lace North -ole +reen ,and Itoc2holm 4russels New 9or2 Chicago 8enver ,atitude ABo >Bo 7Ao 7'o 3'o 3)o 3Bo Altitude Bm )Bm 37m 'B)m /@m '@)m '</@m HgH in mDs) A.@/) A.@)7 A.@'@ A.@'' A.@B/ A.@B/ A.>A<

GWC Acceleration due to g.doc

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GateWa CC Ian ?rancisco /@o ''3m A.@BB

GWC Acceleration due to g.doc

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