1-D Kinematics

Experiment 1: Free Fall

In this experiment you will drop the hex nut from differentheights. You will explore how height from which the hex nut isdropped affects its falling time and its final velocity.

Materials: Hex nut Stopwatch Tape Measure

Procedure

1. a) Write down a hypothesis how height will affect the fallingtime of an object. (Note: use form: if…… then……)

1. b) Write down a hypothesis how height will affect finalvelocity of the falling object. (Note: use form: if…… then……)

1. Drop the hex nut from different heights. For each drop, measurethe distance from the ground and the time the hex nut is fallingdown. For each height do at least three measurements of fallingtime and then calculate the average time.  

Include your measurements in Table1.

1. Calculate final velocity of falling hex nut usingequation:

v = v₀ +at   

Since the initial velocity (the oneyou start with) in this experiment is always equal to 0 m/s, thenthe equation you use for calculation is simply:

v = at

Example:

If average t = 2.5 seconds then,

     

    v = a (2.5s)   

Since an object is in free fall,acceleration a is equal to gravitational acceleration g = 9.8m/s².

Therefore,

  

v = (9.8 m/s²)(2.5 s) =24.5 m/s

1. Include your calculated values of the final velocity in Table1.

Data:

Table 1

Height (m)	Time (s)	Average Time (s)	Final Velocity (m/s)

1. Plot time versus height graph using your data from Table 1(Note: independent variable is on the x axis and depended variableis on y axis)

Independent Variable:_____________

Dependent Variable:________________

[include your graph here]

1. Plot final velocity versus height graph using your data fromTable 1.

Independent Variable:_____________

Dependent Variable:________________

[include your graph here]