Institute of Space Technology

Lab Report # 3
Applied Physics Lab
Topic: Acceleration Due to Gravity

Submitted to:
Ma’am Khola Anees

Submitted by:
Group Members

Haider Ali

Maaz Ahmed Butt

Wajahat Ali

Mehtab Ahmed

Muhammad Tahir Tayyab

Muhammad Abu Bakar Aamir

BE – Electrical Engineering (Semester 1)

Batch 15 – Section: B
Dated: 23-Nov-2016
 CONTENTS
LEARNING OUTCOMES:...........................................................................................2
OBJECTIVES:...............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION:........................................................................................................2
DAILY LIFE EXAMPLES:...........................................................................................2
THEORATICAL BACKGROUND:.............................................................................3
ACCELERATION:....................................................................................................3
GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION (g):............................................................4
DIRECTION OF g.................................................................................................4
MAGNITUDE OF g..............................................................................................4
APPARATUS:...............................................................................................................5
PHOTO GATE:..........................................................................................................5
FENCE:......................................................................................................................6
SMART TIMER:.......................................................................................................6
SMART TIMER MODES OF OPERATION........................................................7
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:...............................................................................7
Procedure for finding g using acceleration mode:.....................................................7
Procedure for finding g using Fence mode:...............................................................8
CALCULATIONS:........................................................................................................8
Important points:........................................................................................................8
Calculation using fence mode:...................................................................................8
Calculation using acceleration mode:........................................................................9
SOURCES OF ERROR:................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION:.............................................................................................................9
QUESTION/ANSWERS................................................................................................9
Bibliography.................................................................................................................14
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Figure 1(PHOTO GATE)...............................................................................................6
Figure 2(FENCE)...........................................................................................................6
Figure 3(SMART TIMER)............................................................................................6
Figure 4(EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE)................................................................7
Figure 5(Picket fence)....................................................................................................8
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this experiment, we will learn how to determine gravity.

OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this activity is
 To determine the acceleration due to the Earth’s gravity
by measuring the time of fall of a picket fence dropped
through a photo gate.
 Can an object have an increasing velocity and a
constant acceleration?
 Can the velocity of an object be zero at the same instant
its acceleration is non zero?

INTRODUCTION:
We say an object is in free fall when the only force acting on it is the Earth’s
gravitational force. No other forces can be acting in particular, air resistance must be
either absent or so small as to be ignored.
In general, an object moving with an initial velocity v 0 and a
constant acceleration a, obeys the following kinematic equation:

----------------equation (A)
Where Δs is the displacement of the object in time t.
For an object initially at rest falling in a gravitational field,
equation (A) reduces to:

------------------equation (B)
Where h is the vertical displacement or height. Our
experiment is based on equation (B). Namely, if we have means
of measuring height and time of the free fall for any object, then
the acceleration due to gravity can be easily determined using
equation (B).
When the object in free fall is near the surface of the earth, the gravitational
force on it is nearly constant. As a result, an object in free fall accelerates
downward at a constant rate. This acceleration is usually represented with the
symbol g. The accepted value for the acceleration due to gravity on the Earth’s
surface is 9.8 m/ s2.
With the Smart Timer, the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity can be quickly
determined experimentally. The acceleration may be calculated from
measurements of distance and time, or it can be measured directly.
 g= Δv /Δt= ( v 2−v 1) /(t 2−t 1)
 s1= v1 *t 1 => v1 = s1/t 1
 s2= v 2 *t 2 => v 2= s2/t 2

DAILY LIFE EXAMPLES:

Obviously gravity is very important on earth. Other planets also affect our
world. Moon’s gravity makes tides rise and fall in sea. Gravity holds the gases in
atmosphere. So oxygen, which we use to breathe, in atmosphere is due to gravity.
Satellites moving in orbit around earth is due to gravity of earth. When you hold a ball
up to the earth then earth gravity pull it down. If the moon stop revolving around earth
then mass of the earth would pull the moon to earth.

THEORATICAL BACKGROUND:
ACCELERATION:
Acceleration, in physics, is the rate of change of velocity of an
object. An object's acceleration is the net result of all types of forces
acting on the object, as described by Newton's Second Law.
 SI unit :
Meter per second squared (m/ s2).
 Quantity:
Acceleration is a vector quantity which means that they
have magnitude as well as direction and add according to the
parallelogram law. As a vector, the calculated net force is
equal to the product of the object's mass (a scalar quantity)
and the acceleration.
 Example:
When a car starts from a standstill (zero relative
velocity) and travels in a straight line at increasing speeds, it
is accelerating in the direction of travel. Acceleration of the
car forward is a linear acceleration, while passengers in the
car might experience as force pushing them back into their
seats.
If the car turns there is an acceleration toward the new
direction. When direction changes, we might call this non-
linear acceleration, which passengers might experience as
a sideways force.
If the speed of the car decreases, this is an acceleration
in the opposite direction of the direction
of the vehicle, sometimes called
deceleration. Passengers may
experience deceleration as a force
lifting them away from their seats.
 Mathematically:
Mathematically, there is no separate
formula for deceleration, as both are
changes in velocity. Each of these
accelerations (linear, non-linear, deceleration) might be felt by
passengers until their velocity (speed and direction) match
that of the car.
GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION (g):
The acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration of a body
due to the influence of the pull of gravity alone, usually denoted by
‘g’. This value varies from one celestial body to another. For
example, the acceleration due to gravity would be different on the
Moon as compared to the one here on Earth. Similarly, you would
have different values for both Jupiter and Pluto.

 Unit of Gravitational Acceleration:

It is expressed in meters per second squared m/s2

 Point of origin/History:
The use of the term acceleration in conjunction with gravity arises from
Einstein's principle of equivalence, which was a cornerstone in the development
of the general theory of relativity. This principle states that the force produced by
a gravitational field is qualitatively the same (in terms of how it affects physical
objects, time, and space) as the force produced when a reference frame
accelerates.
Since acceleration is a vector quantity, it must possess
both a magnitude and a direction. The values we were referring
to earlier pertained to the magnitude. As for the direction, in all
instances, it should be directed to the center of the celestial
body. Now, since these celestial bodies are rather large relative
to the size of the observer, in this case being you and I, the
direction is taken as downward.
DIRECTION OF g
Since the acceleration of a body always takes the direction of
the net force acting on that body, and since the only force we are
considering is that of gravity, then this acceleration should take the
direction of gravity, i.e., downward.
MAGNITUDE OF g
The average value of g on the surface of the Earth is around
9.8 m/s2.
The value of g becomes larger as the object gets nearer to the
Earth’s core. So, you’d have a slightly larger g at sea level
compared to what you’d have at the peak of say, the Himalayas.
Furthermore, since the Earth is not a perfect sphere but,
rather, an oblate spheroid, i.e., bulging at the equator and flat at the
poles, then you would have greater g’s at the poles than at the
equator.
 With the Smart Timer, the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity
can be quickly determined experimentally. The acceleration may be
calculated from measurements of distance and time, or it can be
measured directly.
To calculate the acceleration from time measurements, the
following formula must be used:
vf = vi + gt
vf = v2 & vi = v1
v2 = v1 + gt
g = v2 – v1 / t

where t = t2’ + t1’ / 2 & v1 = 0.05/t1 & v2 = 0.05/t2’

t1’ = t1
t2’ = t2 – t1
 t = t1 + t2 – t1 /2
t = t2 / 2

v1 = 0.05/t1
v2 = 0.05/t2’

g = v2 – v1 / t
% error = (theoretical value – experimental value / experimental value) * 100

APPARATUS:
1. Photo gate.
2. Smart Timer.
3. Picket Fence.
PHOTO GATE:
A photo gate sensor is a timing device used for very precise measurements of
high-speed or short-duration events.