Formación para la Investigación

Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias

Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

DETERMINATION OF THE INSTANTANEOUS SPEED

Omar Hernandez Calderon - Civil Engineering.
Juliette Natalia Figueroa Palencia - Industrial Engineering.
Laura Vanesa Rosas Mendez - Systems Engineering.
Santiago José Sandoval Venegas - Civil Engineering.

“The worst fight is the one that is not fought”

Karl Marx

ABSTRACT

A concurrent experiment with average and instantaneous speed was carried out in the laboratory. Specific
laboratory implements were used and the data were recorded using the SPARKvue application, which
generated great reliability due to the fact that the difference was minimal in each time measurement. For
this application to work, the mobile device was linked to the Pasco interface via Bluetooth, where it was
connected to a 120-volt outlet that provided two ports to connect the photo-sensors

Another piece of equipment used was the air rail, a specialized pump for studying dynamic systems with
minimum friction. The equipment takes advantage of a flow of air injected under pressure by a blower fed
from a general outlet, at the same voltage already mentioned, escaping through small perforations to
generate levitation of the study mobiles in order to limit their mass. We proceeded to establish the
distances by placing the photo-sensors at a length between them of 100 cm with their respective location.
Photo-sensor 1 at 180 cm and photo-sensor 2 at 80 cm, with these references we reduced 20 cm in each
record until we reached the midpoint of 130 cm.

During the experiment, we felt intellectual because participation was equitable and the knowledge gained
led to meaningful learning of our own.

_____________________________

1 Research report of subgroup #H1, group A, presented to teacher ARBEY ALEXIS PAEZ ROA in the subject
of Laboratory of PHYSICS 1. Date: 17/03/2023.

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

INTRODUCTION

When making a trip, we must take into account two fundamental variables to be able to calculate the
speed. These variables correspond to the distance and time providing the average velocity and the
instantaneous velocity. Emphasizing the concept of derivatives, it can be deduced that the velocity at that
instant is equal to the change of position with respect to time.

To corroborate the above, we proceeded to the laboratory field and conducted a one-dimensional particle
experiment. During the practical exercises, we used the data obtained to experimentally find the velocity
of the particle, thus verifying the mathematical calculations. The structure of this report consists of in a
summary, which briefly specifies the laboratory practice, followed by the introduction, which will provide
a satisfactory opening for the rest of the structure. Now, the methodology explains the factors of the
research process with the established data.

On the other side, the data results were analyzed to observe the theoretical and experimental part. From
all the above we proceed to the general conclusions, the references are taken from the web which
guarantee reliability, finally, there are the annexes during the research process.

METHODOLOGY

In this laboratory, the main objective is to find the instantaneous velocity of a body in a certain distance
and time, for that we need the following direct measurement instruments: an air pump, two blocks of
wood, two photo-sensors, a level, a caliper, a slider, two flaps of 0.011 [m] and 0.1 [m], an air rail, a PASCO
interface and a cell phone with the SPARKvue application. First, two blocks of wood were placed under the
air rail forming an angle of 1.43° angle, then the photo-sensors were connected to the PASCO interface to
place them at one meter each to take the time data sent by Bluetooth to the SPARKvue application, having
this ready, the slider was placed with zero initial velocity, starting the data collection. Then proceed to do
the same with the distances of 0.8 [m], 0.6 [m], 0.4 [m], 0.2 [m], 0.1 [m], 0.011 [m] and then note the times
in each measurement.

Now we take the theoretical velocity as follows: We find the acceleration using the angle of inclination
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑥
angle of the air rail by clearing the following formula, sin 𝜃 = (𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛). In order to find
2(𝑥𝑓 −𝑥0 )
the time it was necessary to ∆𝑥 final position minus initial position with the formula Δ𝑡 = √ 𝑎𝑥
and
finally we replace, 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑎𝑥 ∆𝑡 .

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

For the experimental data, all the velocities were found using the times taken with their respective
distances, then the margin of error for each of these velocities was found by using the
𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒−𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
formula%𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 = | 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
|× 100% and finally, the theoretical speed
data, experimental speed and the % error of each measurement are placed.

Illustration 1. Experimental process Illustration 2. Experimental process

DATA TREATMENT

The theoretical and practical steps carried out will be shown below steps carried out as well as the tables
of the experiment.

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

Table 1. Distances, times and number of shots taken for each length.

Distance[𝑚] Releases Time[𝑠]

1 2,01835
1 2 2,02343
3 2,02027
1 1,53222
0,8 2 1,52881
3 1,53242
1 1,10795
0,6 2 1,10480
3 1,11141
1 0,72389
0,4 2 0,72439
3 0,72405
1 0,35224
0,2 2 0,35266
3 0,35234
1 0,17741
0,1 2 0,17690
3 0,17751
1 0,02091
0,011 2 0,02080
3 0,02096

1. After having the data in Table 1, we proceeded to average the times for each distance.
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 1[𝑚]

2,01835[𝑠] + 2,02343[𝑠] + 2,02027[𝑠]

𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒[𝑠] = = 2,020683[𝑠]
3

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

2. After having the averages of each time, the experimental speed was found.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒[𝑚] −1[𝑚] 𝑚
𝑣= ∆𝑥 = 0,8[𝑚] − 1,8[𝑚] 𝑣= = −0,495 [ ]
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒[𝑠] 2,020683[𝑠] 𝑠

The velocities remain negative since the motion is given towards the axis x (-)

Table 2. Distances, average times and average speeds.

𝑚
Distance[𝑚] Time average[𝑠] Velocity[ 𝑠 ]
1 2,02068 -0,495
0,8 1,53115 -0,522
0,6 1,10805 -0,541
0,4 0,72411 -0,552
0,2 0,35241 -0,568
0,1 0,17727 -0,564
0,011 0,02089 -0,479

3. Now we will find the theoretical velocity, for this we need the air rail inclination angle in
order to find the acceleration.

𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑠

 sin 𝜃 = ( 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
)

0,025[𝑚]
𝜃 = sin−1 ( )
1[𝑚]

𝜃 = 1,43°

 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑥 = sin 𝜃 × 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑚
−𝑎𝑥 = −sin 1,43° × 9,8 [ 2 ]
𝑠
𝑚
−𝑎𝑥 = −0,245[𝑠2 ]

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

4. After having the acceleration, the final position, and the initial position (taken in the
laboratory) we replace the following formulas

2(𝑥𝑓 −𝑥0 )
 Δ𝑡 = √
𝑎𝑥

𝑚
𝑥𝑓 = 1,30[𝑚] 𝑥𝑓 = 1,92[𝑚] 𝑎𝑥 = −0,245 [ 2 ]
𝑠

2(1,3[𝑚] − 1,92[𝑚])
Δ𝑡 = √ 𝑚
(−0,245) [ 2 ]
𝑠
Δ𝑡 = 2,25[𝑠]

 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑎𝑥 ∆𝑡
𝑚 𝑚
𝑣𝑓 = −0,245 [ 2 ] × 2,25 [ ]
𝑠 𝑠
𝑚
𝑣𝑓 = −0,54 [ ]
𝑠

5. Having the theoretical velocity and the experimental velocities, the error percentages of each
one will be found with the following formula.

𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒−𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒

%𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 = | 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
|× 100%

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 1[𝑚]
𝑚 𝑚
−0,54 [ 𝑠 ] − (−0,5 [ 𝑠 ])
%𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 = | 𝑚 | × 100%
−0,54 [ 𝑠 ]

%𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 = 7,41%

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

Table 3. Distances, practical speeds, theoretical speed and percentage of error.

𝑚 𝑚
Distance[𝑚] Practice velocity[ 𝑠 ] Theoretical velocity[ 𝑠 ] %mistake[%]
1 -0,500 -0,54 7,41
0,8 -0,522 -0,54 3,33
0,6 -0,541 -0,54 0,19
0,4 -0,552 -0,54 2,22
0,2 -0,568 -0,54 5,19
0,1 -0,564 -0,54 4,44
0,011 -0,479 -0,54 11,9

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

The tables in this report present different data with regard to the experiment in the laboratory practice.
Therefore, table 1 highlights the results of distance and time, which were generated through a
displacement affected by acceleration (gravity). Which was carried out by means of a slider and an air
pump with its respective rail, thus obtaining these data. On the other side, table 2 presents the
experimental velocity of each measurement, which was used to compare the experimental velocity with
the theoretical one, that is, a (theoretical) velocity found by means of mathematical operations that refer
to the established formulas.

On the other side, these speeds were taken into account to calculate the margin of error, which was
generated in the laboratory practice by different factors such as: data collection and the proper use of
experimental materials (photo-sensors, slider, fins...). In addition, the percentage of error took different
values with respect to each measurement used, so it is interpreted that by changing the length its margin
of error has variation, these results were given by calculations made with the formula of margin of error,
which are presented in Table 3.

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 Formación para la Investigación
Escuela de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Construimos Futuro

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the experimental practice to determine the instantaneous velocity led us to use practical
laboratory materials, which took place in the acquisition of both time and distance data, this was
generated thanks to the 3 executions (shots) made with the implements acquired by the physics
laboratory, which aimed to give us increasingly accurate results, this for each length established.

In like manner, it was possible to conclude that the theoretical and experimental speed do not have much
difference with respect to their results, this because when performing the experiment different
measurements were used, which were taken with the slider in the most appropriate way to generate more
accurate and closer results, also it was achieved thanks to the air pump that generated a minimum lift,
thus giving less friction and better displacement.

REFERENCES
ABC LABORATORIOS. (2023, 14 marzo). EQUIPO RIEL DE AIRE.
https://abclaboratorios.com/producto/equipo-riel-de-aire/

Serra, B. R. (2023, 14 marzo). Velocidad instantánea. Universo Formulas.

https://www.universoformulas.com/fisica/cinematica/velocidad-instantanea/