FALLING OBJECTS
Omar Marzouk
MYP Year 5 - Mathematics
The purpose of this mathematical lab is to determine the value of the constant representing
gravity by dropping an object from five different heights, and measuring the time it takes for the object
to hit the ground. To obtain the value of the constant, various mathematical methods will be employed,
graphing points on a cartesian plane, and finding a tangent of a curve. The literature value was provided
as the constant speed of gravity: 9.7926 m/s2. The constant was measured using physical pendulums
and gravitometers in Tucson by The US Geological Survey. In comparing the obtained value to the
literature value utilizing percentage error, a quantitative value will be obtained representing the validity
of the final result.
I devised a plan in efforts of determining the value of the constant of gravity. The plan involved
the measurement of the furthest possible distance (within given limits) at which an object (ping-pong
ball) can be safely dropped. (This was to be 5.13 m). The gathering of the data took place on April 17th,
2020.
Following, after taking into consideration the different elevations needed to conduct the lab
safely, I began dropping objects at the previously established heights. To obtain reliable data, the object
was dropped a total of 3 times at each designated height to prevent outliers from skewing the entirety
of the data. A stopwatch was started each time an object was released from each height and stopped
when the object hit the ground. The obtained results of the data are shown in the table below:
Height (meters) Time (Seconds):
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
(1.10+1.05+1.1)
5.13 1.10 1.05 1.1 3
= 1.08
(0.98+0.98+0.94)
4.3 0.98 0.98 0.94 3
= 0.97
(0.75+0.81+0.64)
2.85 0.75 0.81 0.64 3
= 0.73
(0.61+0.60+0.63)
1.78 0.61 0.60 0.63 3
= 0.61
(0.51+0.49+0.53)
1.2 0.51 0.49 0.53 3
= 0.51
All of the heights shown above have been converted into meters for the purposes of this mathematical
exploration, to determine the constant for gravity in m/s. Through the provided procedure, the values
above were obtained. The averages were calculated through the addition of all trial values and dividing
the sum by 3, as follows:
(T rial 1 T ime (s) + T rial 2 T ime (s) + T rial 3 T ime (s))
N umber of T rials
To obtain the value of the constant representing gravity the data above will be put into a graph. Thus,
illustrating the correlation between height and time when dropping the object. As shown in the graph
below, a positive correlation between height and time is present. As the height at which the object is
dropped increases, the time it takes for the object to reach the ground increases simultaneously.
Following I will take the tangent to the curve within the graph below. Thus, allowing me to determine an
equation representing the tangent, obtaining the slope of the tangent line.
In the graph above, the equation of the curved line is as follows; 4.314x2 + 0.2850x . The aforementioned
equation represents the correlation between time and height while dropping the object. To determine
the equation of the tangent line of this curve, the following formula will be employed:
axn → anxn-1
Using the formula above, we can find an equation to determine the slope of the tangent of the graph at
any point.
Let v represent velocity.
v = 4.314 · 2x2−1 + 0.2850
v = 8.628x + 0.2850
Following, several data points on the x-axis had to be assigned to determine the values of the y-axis to
graph this function. The table below features the transformation of the x values to obtain the y values
through the equation above.
Time (sec) Velocity (m/s)
0 v = 8.628(0) + 0.2850
= 0.285
0.2 v = 8.628(0.2) + 0.2850
= 2.01
0.4 v = 8.628(0.4) + 0.2850
= 3.74
0.6 v = 8.628(0.6) + 0.2850
= 5.46
0.8 v = 8.628(0.8) + 0.2850
= 7.19
Once the repondants to time intervals were gathered through the substitution of the equation above,
the tangent of the curve was electronically graphed, as shown (left).
The slope and gradient of the tangent line indicates the rate of change of
acceleration, or velocity of the ball at a specific point in time. The graph of the
slopes of the second graph and the calculated line of best fit indicates the
change of velocity over time. This phenomenon is otherwise referred to as
acceleration. Based on the velocity equation, it can be concluded that the
acceleration due to gravity of the data collected is 7.5 m/s2.
|Experimental value − Literature value|
Literature value
x 100%
|7.5 − 9.7926|
= 9.7926
x 100%
= 2.2926
9.7926 • 100%
= 0.2341155566 • 100%
≈ 23%
∴ The percentage error is approximately 23%.
According to BackYardBrains, the average human has a delayed reaction time
towards visual stimulus of 0.25 seconds. Typically, this impact on the final
result is miniscule, however, in this experiment, when the largest
measurement of time is 1.02 seconds, an error of 0.25 seconds translates into
a great impact on the gathering of data of this exploration. During the
gathering of data, the time of which the object was dropped was based
entirely on my ability to react. Hence, this short delay in reaction time equates
to less accurate data, contributing towards the justification of the 23%
percentage error. In efforts of creating a more accurate mode of the data, a
reaction time of 0.25 seconds was subtracted from each timed trial:
Height (meters) Time (Seconds):
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
(0.85+0.80+0.85)
5.13 1.10 - 0.25 = 0.85 1.05 - 0.25= 0.80 1.10 - 0.25 =0.85 3
= 0.83
(0.73+0.73+0.69)
4.3 0.98 - 0.25 = 0.73 0.98 - 0.25=0.73 0.94 - 0.25=0.69 3
= 0.72
(0.5+0.56+0.39)
2.85 0.75-0.25=0.5 0.81-0.25 = 0.56 0.64 -0.25 =0.39 3
= 0.48
(0.36+0.35+0.38)
1.78 0.61-0.25=0.36 0.60-0.25=0.35 0.63-0.25 = 0.38 3
= 0.36
(0.26+0.24+0.28)
1.2 0.51-0.25 = 0.26 0.49-0.25 = 0.24 0.53-0.25 = 0.28 3
= 0.26
Repeating the same process, these data points were then put into a graph, as follows below:
In the graph above, the equation of the curved line is as follows; 5.200x2 + 3.400x .To determine the
equation of the tangent line of this curve, the following formula will be employed:
axn → anxn-1
Using the formula above, we can find an equation to determine the slope of the tangent of the graph at
any point.
Let v represent velocity.
v = 5.200 · 2x2−1 + 3.400
v = 10.4x + 3.400
Once more, several data points on the x-axis had to be assigned to determine the values of the y-axis to
graph this new function. The table below features the transformation of the x values to obtain the y
values through the equation above.
Time (sec) Velocity (m/s)
0 v = 10.4(0) + 3.400
= 3.4
0.2 v = 10.4(0.2) + 3.400
= 5.48
0.4 v = 10.4x + 3.400
= 7.56
0.6 v = 10.4x + 3.400
= 9.64
0.8 v = 10.4(0.8) + 3.400
= 11.72
Once the repondants to time intervals were gathered through the substitution of the equation above,
the tangent of the curve was electronically graphed, as shown below.
Based on the slope of the graph shown above it can be concluded that this method of obtaining the
constant of gravity garnered a value of 10.40 m/s2. Thus, yielding percentage error of 6.2% as follows:
|Experimental value − Literature value|
Literature value
x 100%
|10.40 − 9.7926|
= 9.7926
x 100%
0.6074
= 9.7926 • 100%
= 0.6202642812 • 100%
≈ 6.2%
∴ The percentage error is approximately 6.2%.
Another factor that contributes towards this percentage error is air resistance. Air resistance is defined as
the forces that are in opposition to the relative motion of an object as it passes through the air. The
faster the object falls towards the ground, the more air resistance affects that object. At a certain point,
the amount of accumulated air resistance from the increase in speed equates to the balance of the
forces of gravity, or terminal velocity. The longest time at which the object remained in the air was 1.10
seconds, hence, speed did not affect the amount of air resistance acting against the
object. The lab was conducted utilizing a ping-pong ball. Hence, relative to a larger sized
object (such as a baseball), not as many air molecules collide with the object. Thus,
decreased air resistance. The direction of the air resistance force is in the opposite
direction as the velocity of the object. Hence, the diagram (right) can be utilized to
describe the effects of air resistance on the gathering of the data: The most common
model for the air resistance states that the magnitude of the force depends on:
1.2kg
● The density of air (ρ). This typically has a value around m3
.
● The cross sectional area of the object (A). A ping pong ball would have a cross sectional area
equal to πr2 :
A = πr2
= π (0.02 meters)2
≈ 1.26 m2
● The drag coefficient (C). This depends on the shape of the object. For a spherical object, a
unitless value of 0.47 is typical.
● The magnitude of the velocity squared. The faster you go, the greater the air resistance
force.
To calculate the air resistance, the mass of the ball, altitude of the initial drop location, gravitational
acceleration must be determined. As per the diagram above, the following formula will be utilized to
calculate air resistance:
F air =− 12 DAρv 2 ,
In the equation above, D represents the drag coefficient, A, the cross-sectional area of the object ( m2 ),
ρ represents air density and finally, v represents the velocity squared. Upon obtaining all of the
necessary variables, the air resistance affecting the object was calculated, as shown in the following table
below:
Calculations: Air Resistance (Newtons):
− 12 (0.47)(1.26)(1.2)(1.08)2 -0.41
− 12 (0.47)(1.26)(1.2)(0.97)2 -0.33
− 12 (0.47)(1.26)(1.2)(0.73)2 -0.19
− 12 (0.47)(1.26)(1.2)(0.61)2 -0.13
− 12 (0.47)(1.26)(1.2)(0.51)2 -0.09
The calculations above indicate the trend that the less time the object is in the air, the less of an impact
air resistance has on the object. Thus, explaining the -23% percentage error. The constant for gravity was
determined, factoring out air resistance. If air resistance was factored when calculating the force of
gravity, the obtained result would be nearly synonymous with the provided literature value. However,
upon gathering the accelerations of each individual height, and comparing them with that of which was
obtained through an electronic model, the obtained acceleration garnered a far different result. The
acceleration was calculated utilizing the following formula, as follows:
(((Height)(2)) ÷ (Average T ime))2
Calculations: Acceleration ( m/s2 )
(((− 1.2)(2)) ÷ (0.51))2 -9.22
(((− 1.78)(2)) ÷ (0.61))2 -9.56
(((− 2.85)(2)) ÷ (0.73))2 -10.15
(((− 4.3)(2)) ÷ (0.97))2 -9.14
(((− 5.13)(2)) ÷ (1.08))2 -8.57
Following, the average acceleration was found, utilizing the following formula:
(Acceleration 1 + Acceleration 2 + Acceleration 3 + Acceleration 4 + Acceleration 5) ÷ (5)
Thus,
((− 8.573) + (− 9.14) + (− 10.15) + (− 9.56) + (− 9.22))/ 5
≈ -9.33
The obtained acceleration was a negative value. Negative acceleration is the phenomenon of an object’s
velocity decreasing over time at a steady rate. (ThePhysicsClassroom, n.d). Hence, when an object is
slowing down the acceleration is in the opposite direction as the velocity. Thus, a negatively obtained
acceleration. Following, this new obtained value was compared against the provided literature value,
once more, as follows:
|Experimental value − Literature value|
Literature value
x 100%
|−9.33 − 9.7926|
= 9.7926
x 100%
19.1226
= 9.7926 • 100%
= 1.96 • 100%
≈ 196%
∴ The percentage error is approximately 196%
In conclusion, I was able to calculate the value for the constant of gravity through the tangent of a curve.
The second method of obtaining an acceleration garnered the lowest percentage error of 6.2%, and
thus, the most accurate of the 3 obtained values. This is due to the fact that one of the major sources of
error of the experiment, human reaction time, was factored out of the gathered data. Overall, due to air
resistance, inconsistencies of timing, and human reaction time, the gathered data became far less
accurate. However, the data was still able to be manipulated in a variety of methods, involving
mathematical manipulation and graphing software to garner a value for the constant of gravity. The data
collection showed that this constant can be calculated from any selected height. The calculated
percentage error was justified by human reaction time and air resistance, both having notable effects on
the validity of the data.
