Shageenth Sandrakumar

PHY 158 Lab

M2 Experiment Lab Report: Free Fa

VI (1):
In this experiment, we measured the time it took for a ball to be dropped from a certain
distance. Here are the data set of we have recorded.

Data Tables
Small ball dropped
Dropped distance 0.4m (meters)
Trial # 1 Time (s)
1
0.3121
2
0.2941
3
0.2923
4
0.2886
5
0.2809
Average
0.2936
S.D.
0.0115161

t^2 (s^2)
0.0974064
0.0864948
0.0854393
0.08329
0.0789048
0.0863071
0.0068535

Dropped distance 0.6m (meters)

Trial # 2 Time (s)
1
0.3461
2
0.3632
3
0.3468
4
0.362
5
0.3532
Average
0.35426
S.D.
0.0081116

t^2 (s^2)
0.1197852
0.1319142
0.1202702
0.131044
0.1247502
0.1255528
0.005754

Dropped distance 0.8m (meters)

Trial # 3 Time (s)
1
0.4023
2
0.4029
3
0.4062
4
0.4002
5
0.4025
Average
0.40282
S.D.
0.0021603

t^2 (s^2)
0.1618453
0.1623284
0.1649984
0.16016
0.1620063
0.1622677
0.0017428

Shageenth Sandrakumar

PHY 158 Lab

Dropped distance 1.0m (meters)

Trial # 4 Time (s)
1
0.4642
2
0.4521
3
0.4583
4
0.4582
5
0.452
Average
0.45696
S.D.
0.0050983

t^2 (s^2)
0.2154816
0.2043944
0.2100389
0.2099472
0.204304
0.2088332
0.0046667

Dropped distance 1.2m (meters)

Trial # 5 Time (s)
1
0.5026
2
0.4961
3
0.4853
4
0.4903
5
0.5005
Average
0.49496
S.D.
0.0071658

t^2 (s^2)
0.2526068
0.2461152
0.2355161
0.2403941
0.2505003
0.2450265
0.0070802

Dropped distance 1.4m (meters)

Trial # 6 Time (s)
1
0.5284
2
0.5395
3
0.5321
4
0.5369
5
0.5286
Average
0.5331
S.D.
0.0049684

t^2 (s^2)
0.2792066
0.2910603
0.2831304
0.2882616
0.279418
0.2842154
0.0053034

Big ball dropped

Dropped distance 1.4m (meters)
Trial
1
2
3
4
5
Average
S.D.

Time (s)
0.5229
0.531
0.5505
0.5219
0.5202
0.5293
0.0112326

t^2 (s^2)
0.2734244
0.281961
0.3030503
0.2723796
0.270608
0.2802847
0.0120355

Shageenth Sandrakumar

PHY 158 Lab

VI (2):
We graphed the date table of distance with respect to the average time squared. I used the
average time squared values for each distance dropped and potted it using excel.

Distance vs. Average Time Squared

1.6
1.4
1.2
Distance (m)

y = 5.0154x - 0.0297
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

Average Time Squared (s^2)

By using Excel I was able to calculate the slope and its uncertainty s.
For Gravity, I manipulated the formula d = (1/2)gt^2 to (2d/t^2) = g, Substituted s(slope) for
(d/t^2) and got the formula 2s = g.
Using the formula, z = x
Slope, s (g/cm)
s (g/cm)

where z = g and x = s we get g = s (2s) = 2 s

5.015367
0.073016

10.030734
0.146032

S = (5.02 0.07) m/s2

g = (10.03 0.1) m/s2

Gravity (m/s^2)
g (g)

Shageenth Sandrakumar

PHY 158 Lab

VI (3):
a. The points on the graph that I have created on excel do fall on a straight line. They follow
a trend of increasing in steady fashion. The line does appear systematic; many of the
points are only slightly below the trend line, and slightly above the trend line. They arent
far off in a deviation like described in the question.
b. Here I made a table
Distance
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4

Best Fit
0.08567612
0.1255533
0.16543047
0.20530765
0.24518483
0.28506201

Actual
Data
0.0863071
0.1247502
0.1622677
0.2088332
0.2450265
0.2842154

Since the standard deviation of the graph is 0.07, each actual data fits the best fit data
(within the margin of error), This proves that there must be a linear correlation between
the distance and the time squared.
c. The line does come close to going through the origin, the reason why it does not cross the
origin, is because of the fact of that there is a margin of error in recording the
experiments. If it were not close to the origin then, certain factors such as inaccurate
reading of the time the ball dropped, the actual release of the ball, the measurement from
the ball to the ground could have been falsified at some point.

VI (4):
As stated in the data above both balls were dropped at the same height 1.4m. The
recorded time for both the balls is 0.5331 0.004 and 0.5293 0.01 for the small ball and the
large ball respectively. Both balls are within each other ranges, the values do overlap with one
another. This means that they both are equal to each other, within the margin of error. This
matches up with our understanding of gravity. It acts on objects regardless of mass.