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Physics

The document describes an experiment to investigate how the time taken for an object to fall is impacted by its starting height. Balls were dropped from heights of 2m and 3m and the fall time was recorded. As predicted, the ball dropped from 3m took longer to reach the ground. While the results supported the hypothesis, the calculated values for gravity were not exact, likely due to measurement errors.

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12 views5 pages

Physics

The document describes an experiment to investigate how the time taken for an object to fall is impacted by its starting height. Balls were dropped from heights of 2m and 3m and the fall time was recorded. As predicted, the ball dropped from 3m took longer to reach the ground. While the results supported the hypothesis, the calculated values for gravity were not exact, likely due to measurement errors.

Uploaded by

natasha.jaichandra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics EOU Report:

Research question:
How can changes in height from the ground impact the amount of time it takes for an object to
fall to the ground and how gravity is impacted?

Hypothesis:
The ball will take longer to reach the ground if the height from which it is dropped is increased.
This happens because a greater distance will affect the amount of time required even if the ball
accelerates more quickly. Since both balls accelerate at the same rate as soon as they are
released from the height, the closer ball should touch the ground first. The second ball will
continue to increase until there is no more acceleration or until it touches the ground.

Apparatus/tools:
● Meter scale- 1
● Any type of ball (preferably tennis)- 1
● Stopwatch- 1
● A partner (one or more)

Variables:

Independent:

Quantity of variable:
height (m)

Method of measurement:
To calculate the values of time from each height, the ball will be dropped from various heights.
The optimal scale for the larger scale would be in meters; it is just the right size to achieve
precise results without being too large or too little.

Dependent:

Quantity of variable:
time (s)

Method of measurement:
The amount of time it takes to reach the ground will be timed using a stopwatch; due to their
great precision, it would help yield the most precise data. The moment the ball is dropped till it
touches the ground, the timer will record the time.

Controlled:
Quantity of variable:
type of ball
Method of measurement:
Keeping the mass of the ball constant is the best way to proceed with the experiment because
changing it will influence the outcomes of the experiment and render the recordings invalid.

Method of experiment:

● Utilizing meter scales From 2 meters above the ground, draw a line or other reference
point on the wall (repeat the same with 3 meters)
● As the countdown reaches "1," the person holding the ball at the wall's reference point
should drop it, and the person holding the timer should start the timer until it touches the
ground and record the duration.
● To ensure that the time stays close to the initial one, repeat the procedure four more
times.
● Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the 3-meter mark as well.

Calculation method:

● The uncertainty will be treated as 0.01 for the time since the lowest possible count for a
digital stopwatch is 0.01.
● Since the scale is a physical object with a minimum count of 0.1, the uncertainty will be
set at 0.05 cms.
● By adding all the values and dividing the result by 5, calculate the average over all five
trials
● Repeat the last step for the other height
● After taking the measurements, you can use the formula A = 2s/t*2 to calculate
acceleration, where T is the average time and S is the average height.
● Use the formula (0.01/Avg Time) + 2(0.05/3), where avg time is the average that was
determined in step 3 to determine the final value of gravity.
● For 2m, repeat steps 5 to 7, with step 6's uncertainty calculation being 2(0.05/2).

Safety precautions:
● If using a chair to stand on and drop the ball at a particular height ensures that someone
is holding the chair.
● Ensure that the ground is a flat surface when the experiment is being conducted.

Data-

Height (M) Time (S) Time (S) Time (S) Time (S) Time (S) Average
Trial 2 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 time (S)

3M 0.75 0.72 0.72 0.69 0.78 0.732

2M 0.62 0.53 0.53 0.62 0.63 0.586


Graph-

We can see from the graph that there is a direct relation where when the height increases the
time taken for the ball to drop also increases. As mentioned in the hypothesis, since both balls
accelerate at the same rate as soon as they are released from the height, the closer ball will
touch the ground first. The second ball will continue to increase until there is no more
acceleration or until it touches the ground.
Calculation-

Final Answer for 3M = 11.2 ± 0.04m/ s2


Final Answer for 2M = 11.6 ± 0.07m/ s2

Analysis/conclusion:
Although the experiment's findings support the theory, they are indifferent to the benchmark
value. This issue arose because of a measurement method difficulty. The hypothesis was
proved, however the results we obtained were not exact because there was a lot of space for
mistake when using two distinct heights, moreover there was always the factor human error that
we had to consider as reaction time plays an important role especially when it came to recording
the time.

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