UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

Kinematics in One Dimension

Purpose
The purpose of this experiment is to study the motion of an object undergoing uniform acceleration. Using
an inclined track and a computer, you can observe the one dimensional uniform motion of a cart. You will
measure the constant velocity motion of the cart before and after it collides with a spring bumper, and then
incline the track to accurately measure 𝑔, the acceleration due to gravity.

Introduction

The motion of an object is typically described in terms of four quantities: time 𝑡 ; position 𝑟⃗ ; velocity
𝑣⃗ ; and acceleration 𝑎⃗ . Velocity is the rate of change of position with respect to time, and acceleration is
the rate of change of velocity.
⃗
𝑣⃗ 1
and
⃗ ⃗
𝑎⃗ 2

The quantities 𝑟⃗, 𝑣⃗, and 𝑎⃗ are vectors because motion can occur in more than one dimension. Moreover,
position and velocity are generally complicated functions of time. Even along one dimension such as 𝑥 𝑡 ,
the motion of a body can be difficult to analyze, since 𝑎 𝑡 may have some nontrivial time dependence.

However, it turns out that the time dependence of position and velocity simplify greatly when an object
undergoes constant acceleration 𝑎 𝑡 𝑎:

𝑣 𝑡 𝑎 ∙ 𝑑𝑡 𝑣 𝑎𝑡 3
and

𝑥 𝑡 𝑣 𝑡 ∙ 𝑑𝑡 𝑥 𝑣 𝑡 𝑎𝑡 4

By combining Eqs 3 and 4 we can get the following relationship between 𝑣 and ∆𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 :

𝑣 𝑣 2𝑎∆𝑥 5

These kinematic expressions were first deduced in the sixteenth century by Galileo, who systematically
observed objects rolling down inclined planes. Starting the objects from rest, he found that the
displacement of a body down the plane is proportional to the square of the time it is in motion.

In this experiment you will perform a related study of motion with constant velocity and constant
acceleration. Ordinarily, it is difficult to examine these kinds of motion with precision, since objects in free
fall tend to move too rapidly, and frictional forces tend to arise in most everyday situations.
These factors hinder a direct observation of the underlying physical principles of motion, and in fact this is
one of the reasons why these principles were poorly understood until Galileo's careful experiments.

 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 1 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

In this lab, it will be possible to study motion of a low friction cart moving on an inclined track. When the
track is level and the cart is given a slight push, it will move nearly with constant velocity; when the track
is inclined at an angle 𝜃, the cart will experience an acceleration
𝑎 𝑔 sin 𝜃 6
due to the component of gravity which is parallel to the track. The cart and track are pictured in Figure 1.
To observe the motion of the cart, we need to make accurate measurements of its position at regular
intervals of time. For this we employ a sonar device called a Sonic Ranger see Figure 1 .
The Sonic Ranger sends out discrete pulses of sound waves, which travel at some velocity 𝑣 to an object
on the track and are reflected back to the source. As reflected waves are detected by the Ranger, their
arrival times are read out to a PC, which calculates the distance, 𝑥, to the object based on the time, 𝜏, it takes
the signal to make a round trip to and from the object:
𝑣𝜏
𝑥
2
If a series of such measurements is made in rapid succession, then the computer can reconstruct the
position of the cart over some time interval, using this information to calculate quantities such as the
"instantaneous" velocity or acceleration of the cart as a function of time. The Sonic Ranger driver software
calculates the velocity 𝑣 at time t using the following formula
∆𝑥 𝑥 𝑡 ∆𝑡 𝑥 𝑡
𝑣 𝑡
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡
where ∆𝑡 is the time interval between each emitted pulse.

We operate the Sonic Ranger at a frequency 𝑓 20 Hz, so that ∆𝑡 1/𝑓 0.05 s. As long as the rate of
change of 𝑣 𝑡 is not too extreme, this ∆𝑡 is small enough to give us a fairly accurate approximation to the
instantaneous velocity.

Equipment
Figure 1 
 PC and Pasco 750 Interface Module
 Pasco CapStone Software
 Ultra-sonic motion sensor sonic ranger .
 Track equipped with a spring bumper
and leveling jack at each end of the track Sonic Ranger
 Track accessories
 Cart equipped with sonar reflector and 4
weight plates.
 Hooked weight set
 1-meter stick.
 Spirit level
 Ice-Pick

 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 2 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

Initial Setup
When you begin the experiment, you may need to log onto a laboratory computer before you can view the
desktop screen. To do so, when the desktop loads, double click the P141_1DMotionLab icon with the left
mouse button. You should now see the screen shown in Figure 2, with two empty graphs displayed: i
position 𝑥 m and ii velocity 𝑣 m/s versus time 𝑡 s . To the left of the plots you can find the Data
Summary icon, which you can click to browse through your data runs. The computer is now ready to take
data.
To collect data, single click on the Start button. The plots will update and rescale automatically as data
arrive. Clicking the Stop button ends data acquisition. To begin collecting new data, simply click the Start
button again; the old trace will disappear don't worry; it is still accessible via the summary window - click
on Summary and new data will plot in the two graphs.
Figure 2. Main window of sonic ranger P141_1DMotionLab software

Figure 2 shows typical position-versus-time and velocity-versus-time graphs as the cart moves up and
down the inclined track.
Leveling the Inclining Track
To study constant-velocity motion Experiment 1 , it is necessary to level the track as much as possible.
You will find that when you first put the cart on the track, it will tend to drift in one direction or another.
What you want to do is level the track such that when you place the cart at any position along its length,
the cart stays more or less stationary.
Use the spirit level to check if the track is properly leveled. If not, adjust the toggle jacks to raise or lower
the ends of the track. It may not be possible to completely level the track, but try as best as you can to
eliminate irregularities in the motion of the cart. One thing you can do to make sure that it is aligned in the
best possible way is to place the cart on different locations along the track. If its motion is slow and in
random directions, your track is fairly horizontal.
 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 3 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

Kinematics in One Dimension

Experimental Procedure and Data Analysis

Lab Section Day & Time : ________________________________

Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Station#: ____________

Partner: ______________________________________________________________________

Experiment 1. Motion with Constant Velocity Figure 3 

Once you are satisfied that the track is sufficiently level, set the cart on
the track and move it until the cart’s front is resting against left-hand
launcher. You will now test the setup by quickly observing the
constant velocity motion of the cart.
1. Compress the left-hand launcher with an icepick to notch 1, then
click “Record” and immediately release the left-hand launcher. After
the cart hits the right-hand launcher and just before the cart hits again
the left-hand launcher click “Stop”.
Make sure that you are able to take data over a substantial portion of
the return trip after it has bounced off the spring bumper at the right
end, and the position data is smooth and without jumps, similar to the
data shown in Figure 3.
The Coefficient of Restitution
Well, even a cursory look at Figure 3 reveals that the slope of the linear
portion of the graph on the left side of the figure initial velocity, 𝑣 is greater than the one on the right
side. Let’s look at this in more details.
When two objects collide and bounce away from each other, they tend to lose some of their energy in the
collision, and the rebound or final velocity, 𝑣 , between them is therefore less than the initial velocity, 𝑣 ,
between them. This is why objects that are dropped will sooner or later stop bouncing. The elasticity of the
collision can be indicated by 𝑒, the coefficient of restitution, which is defined as the speed after the collision
divided by the speed before the collision:

𝑣⃗
𝑒
|𝑣⃗ |

A perfectly elastic collision would have a coefficient of restitution equal to one; an elastic "super" ball is a
good example of an object whose coefficient of restitution in many collisions is often close to one.
You can calculate 𝑒 for the case of the cart colliding with the spring bumper using the data you just collected.

 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 4 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

2. Click “Data Highlighter” . Then, move the high-lighter rectangle to the data points and resize it to
select the part of the 𝑥 vs 𝑡 graph that form a straight line before collision as shown in Figure 3. Use the
CapStone fitting routines to apply a linear fit to the highlighted data points. Record the slope, 𝑚 𝑣 ,
and the uncertainty, 𝜎 , of the slope obtained from the fit in Table 1.

3. Highlight the data points that lie on a linear part of the 𝑥 vs 𝑡 graph after the collision and perform a
linear fit of these data points. Record the slope, 𝑚 𝑣 , and the uncertainty, 𝜎 , of the slope obtained from
the fit in Table 1. Table 1
𝑣 𝜎 𝑣 𝜎
4. Repeat this measurement by Trial
𝑒 𝜎
compressing the left-hand launcher to # m/s m/s m/s m/s
notch 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively.
1
5. Calculate the coefficient of
restitution, e, for each trial and its 2
uncertainty, 𝜎 . 3
The data analysis of this experiment is 4
fairly straight forward. By using a
spreadsheet program like Excel, you 5
should complete it with little difficulty.
6. Calculate the mean 〈𝑒〉 and standard error of the mean, 𝛼〈 〉 and write its values below:

〈𝑒〉 ____________  ______________

Experiment 2. Motion with Constant Acceleration Figure 4

A small constant force can be applied to the cart by inclining the

track slightly. The component of gravity which acts on the cart
parallel to the track is equal to 𝑔 sin 𝜃 as indicated in Figure 4 a .
When analyzing this motion, use a coordinate system whose x-
axis is parallel to the surface of the track. In this case, the constant
acceleration of the cart, 𝑎 , is simply the component of 𝑔 along this
axis.
By measuring this acceleration, you can infer the local
acceleration due to gravity 𝑔.
To incline the track, use the leveling jack on the right side of the track, as shown in Figure 4 b , to elevate
the track by some height ℎ. If the distance between the right and left marks is 𝑑, and the height of the track
at the right mark and left mark are ℎ and ℎ , respectively, the inclination angle of the track is given by
ℎ ℎ
sin 𝜃
𝑑
Therefore, the acceleration of the cart can be written as a linear function of ℎ ℎ ℎ :
𝑔
𝑎 ℎ
𝑑
 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 5 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

So, now you will measure the acceleration of the cart, 𝑎 , as a function of ℎ, by setting the height, ℎ , to the
several different heights of the track at the right mark and by measuring the height, ℎ , of the track at the
left mark. In our experiments, 𝑑 1.000  0.001 m, is the distance between two marks. A convenient and
accurate way to measure 𝑎 for a given height is described below:
7. Use the leveling jack on the right side of the track to elevate the track by maximum height ℎ ℎ ,
Set the height ℎ to some value listed in Table 2, then measure the ℎ with the meter stick and record both
values in Table 2.
Table 2
ℎ ℎ
𝑎 𝜎 ℎ 𝜎 * 〈𝑎 〉 𝛼〈 〉
 1  10 3
 1  103
m/s 2 m/s 2 m m m/s 2 m/s2
m m

*Let’s make assumption that the uncertainty for ℎ and ℎ is the same and does not exceed 1 mm, therefore
the uncertainty in the ℎ measurement should be about 𝜎 √2 1.4 mm 1.4  103 m.
8. Set the cart on the track and move it until the cart’s front is resting against left-hand launcher.
9. Compress the left-hand launcher with an icepick to notch 5 or 6 , then click “Record” and immediately
release the left-hand launcher. Take data as the cart moves up and down the incline and click “Stop” just as
the cart reaches the left bumper a second time.
Note: Make sure that cart does not hit the right-hand launcher when it moves up incline. If the cart hits the
right-hand launcher you will need to repeat the measurement by lowering the compression of the left-hand
launcher.
10. Your position plot should look like a nice concave-up parabola, and your velocity plot should be a long
straight line more or less as shown in Figure 2.

11. Click “Data Highlighter” , then, resize the high-lighter rectangle and move it to select the data
points on the 𝑣 vs 𝑡 graph that form a straight line segment of the graph.
 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 6 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

12. Use the CapStone fitting routines to draw a best fit line of the highlighted data points. Then,
record the slope, 𝑚 𝑎 , and the uncertainty, 𝜎 , of the slope obtained from the fit in Table 2.

13. For each height, ℎ, repeat the measurement of 𝑎 three times.

14. Repeat the measurements for ℎ ℎ ℎ value reduced by ~10%, 25%, 50% and 70% of its maximum
value.
15. Also make a quadratic fit of the form 𝑥 𝐴𝑡 𝐵𝑡 𝐶 to the position data. You don't have to perform
the quadratic fit each time; just for a few trials.
16. Use Excel to plot 〈𝑎 〉 as a function of ℎ, and include error bars on the points given by 𝛼〈 〉 .
18. Draw a best fit line of the form 〈𝑎 〉 𝑚ℎ 𝑏 in the plot.
19. Using the spreadsheet function LINEST, calculate the slope, m, intercept, b, and the standard errors in
both. Record its values below.

𝑚 ____________  ______________ m/s2 𝑏 ____________  ______________ m/s

20. Use the slope 𝑚 to estimate 𝑔 ; remember that we expect 𝑎 𝑔/𝑑 ℎ. Use the uncertainty in the
slope from the output of LINEST to find 𝜎 . Record your estimate of 𝑔 and its uncertainty below.
𝑔 ____________  ______________ m/s2

Once you have completed the calculation of 𝑔, consider the following questions:
Question 1. Do you see any evidence that the coefficient of restitution depends on the initial velocity of the
cart? Does this result agree with your expectations? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hint: Try plotting 𝑒 against 𝑣
Question 2: When calculating 𝜎 from 𝜎 and 𝜎 , you should treat the errors as though they are
independent. However, are the uncertainties in 𝑣 and 𝑣 truly independent? Or do you think small errors
in 𝑣 affect 𝑣 ? Justify your answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 7 of 8 
UIC Physics Department Physics 141 Laboratory Manual

Question 3. How does the quadratic coefficient 𝐴 compare to 𝑎 ?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 4. Does your measurement of 𝑔 agree with the nominal value 𝑔 9.80 m/s2? If not, how
significant is the discrepancy? That is, how many 𝜎's away from the nominal value is your result? Can this
be explained by natural variation in 𝑔?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 5. Is the intercept 𝑏 0 within experimental error, or is there a statistically significant
difference? What might cause this?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 6. Do you expect steeper slopes to be more accurate than shallower slopes for extracting 𝑔?
Why? Are your results consistent with this?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 7. Can you think of any systematic effects that may have been at work in this experiment? Do you
see any evidence for their impact? What limits the precision of this way of measuring 𝑔? How could you
increase the precision of your result – that is, decrease the size of 𝜎 ?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 
Kinematics in One Dimension Page 8 of 8