Experiment

Motion with Constant Acceleration

III
I. Purpose

To study uniformly accelerated motion as caused by gravity.

II. References
Serway and Faughn: Sections 2.1 - 2.6
Cutnell and Johnson: Sections 2.4

III. Apparatus
Air track with blower
Air track glider
Track-mounted springs

7-cm angle aluminum

stepped support block
1-cm support block

digital timer
2-meter stick

The air track (see Fig. III-1) provides a means for studying motion without having to
worry about friction. It is a track on which small objects, called gliders, slide on a cushion
of air.
CAUTION: Handle gliders with care. Do not drop!

Figure III-1: Air track

53

IV. Theory
If an object starts at t = 0 with an initial velocity v0 and has a constant acceleration a, the
distance s traveled in time t is given by

s = v0 t + 12 at 2 .

(III-1)

In this experiment, we wish to verify Eq. III-1. Also, we will study motion along a
straight line with no acceleration (a = 0).
There is a natural source of constant acceleration on the surface of the earth. All objects
near the earth have a uniform downward acceleration due to gravity. One could study the
free fall of objects, but would find it hard to measure the short time intervals involved in
traversing distances available in the laboratory. So we shall reduce the acceleration by
employing Galileos original method of using an inclined plane.
Suppose g is the (downward) acceleration due to gravity. When an object of mass m is
placed on an inclined plane, the downward force mg on the object due to gravity may be
resolved into two components. One component is normal (perpendicular) to the plane,
and one is tangent to (along) the plane. See the Fig. III-2 below.
The component of the gravity force normal to the plane is balanced by the reaction force
of the plane on the object (in this case the force provided by the air blowing out of the
holes in the air track). Thus, the total normal force on the object is zero.
By contrast, the air track produces no tangential force on the object. Thus, the net
tangential force on the object is just that due to gravity,

Ftan = tangent force = mg sin .

(III-2)

Figure III-2

54

According to Newtons law of motion, the acceleration a (here the tangential acceleration)
is related to the tangential force by the equation

a = Ftan m = (mg sin ) m = g sin .

(III-3)

Consequently we expect the acceleration a appearing in Eq. III-1 to be given by Eq. III-3.
Note that if the length of the air track (inclined plane) is L, and the elevation of the high
end is H , then sin is given by the geometric relation

sin = H L .

(III-4)

Again see Fig. III-2.

V. Pre-lab Questions
1. Consider the relation Eq. III-1 for the case v0 = 20cm/sec, a = -10 cm/ sec2. Plot a
graph of s versus t using s as the vertical axis, and t as the horizontal axis. You should
find that your graph is an inverted parabola. If you wish, you may go to the Computer
Lab any time it is open (see the regularly posted hours), and run the appropriate
computer program of Experiment I for this purpose. Describe in words the nature of
the motion. Relate this motion to that which you observe when a ball is thrown
straight up into the air.
2. When a ball is thrown straight up into the air, which of the following is true? (List the
letters corresponding to correct answers. There may be more than one!)
a. The acceleration of the ball is zero at the moment it reaches its maximum
height.
b. The velocity of the ball is zero at the moment it reaches its maximum height.
c. The acceleration is negative when the ball is going up and positive when it is
falling down.
d. The acceleration of the ball is always constant and downward.
e. None of the above are correct.

55

VI. Procedure
A. Motion with No Acceleration
In this part of the lab you will study force free motion (no acceleration). You will
time how long it takes a glider (once it is launched) to travel various distances.
1. Place the end of the track with the leveling knob on the lowest step of the supporting
block. Level the air track. Leveling is done by placing the glider at about the middle
of the air track and releasing it at rest. If the glider begins to move, turn the leveling
knob (see Fig. III-3) until the glider remains reasonably stationary. Since the glider
remains stationary, its acceleration must be zero and, by Newtons law, the net force
acting on it must be zero.

Figure III-3

2. Note that two pieces of steel spring are mounted across a launcher bracket. See
Fig. III-1 and Fig. III-4.

Figure III-4: Top View of Launcher Bracket

56

3. Move the glider until it just touches the spring. Record the reading D0, see Fig. III-3,
from the meter scale mounted on the side of the air track. Do not write on the air
track.
4. You are provided with an angular piece of aluminum that acts as a stop. The length
of this stop is such that the spring is compressed about one and one half centimeters
when the glider is brought back against the stop.
5. Find a location Dfinal on the meter scale such that Dfinal - D0 = 30 cm. See Fig. III-3.
Note that D0 and Dfinal are both measured using the same end of the glider. It is a
common mistake to use different ends.
6. Compress the spring 1.5 cm by bringing the glider up against the stop. Release the
glider, and time how long it takes for the glider to travel 30 cm. After you have
become practiced at this, take 5 timings and record your data on your data sheet.
You may find it convenient to mark the 30 cm point with masking tape.
7. Repeat part 6 for a travel distance of 60 cm.
8. Repeat part 6 for a travel distance of 90 cm.
B.

Motion with Constant Acceleration

In this part of the lab you will study motion with constant acceleration. You will
time how long a glider takes to travel various distances when it is launched with zero
initial velocity. You will also study motion with a nonzero initial velocity by
launching a glider up hill.

9. Measure and record the length L of the air track. See Fig. III-3.
10. Raise the leveling knob end of the air track 1 cm by inserting a 1 cm thick block
between the end of the leveling screw and the bottom step of the supporting block.
You have set H = 1 cm. See Fig. III-2.
11. Release the glider at rest (zero initial velocity) from the end of the air track nearest
the leveling screw, and time how long it takes the glider to travel a distance of 5 cm.
You will now have to measure distances from the opposite end of the air track.
Take and record five timings.
12. Repeat part 11 for a travel distance of 20 cm.
13. Repeat part 11 for a travel distance of 45 cm.
14. Repeat part 11 for a travel distance of 80 cm.
15. Launch the glider up hill. Do this by using the launcher as before with the spring
compressed about 1.5 centimeter when the glider is brought back against the stop.
The glider should initially go up hill, slow down due to the force of gravity,
eventually stop, turn around, and finally slide back down hill with ever increasing

57

downward velocity. The glider should not hit or touch the far end of the track.
Launch the glider up hill 5 times. Record for each launch the time it takes from
launch for the glider to just stop. Call the point where the glider stops the turning
point. Also measure the distance the glider travels from the starting point to the
turning point for each launch. Launch the glider in such a way that you maximize
this distance. Again remember to always use the same end of the glider when
measuring travel distances.
16. Pick a convenient intermediate point roughly half way between the starting point
and the turning point. Measure carefully and record the distance from the starting
point to the intermediate point.
17. Make several more uphill launches:
a. Time how long it takes the glider (from the moment of launch) to reach the
intermediate point.
b. Time how long it takes to reach the turning point. Actually, you already did
this in part 15 above. So, you already have this data, and need not repeat this
measurement.
c. Note that after the glider is launched, it passes through the intermediate point
twice. It passes through the intermediate point once on its way uphill, and a
second time on its way downhill. Time how long it takes (from the moment
of launch) to reach the intermediate point the second time.
d. Time how long it takes the glider to make a full round trip. That is, time how
long it takes (from the moment of launch) for the glider to come back to its
starting point.
Make 5 measurements of each timing. To conserve batteries and the
environment, please turn off digital timer except during actual use.

VII. Data and Error Analysis

A. Motion with No Acceleration
1. You made timing measurements for travel distances s having the nominal values
30 cm, 60 cm, and 90 cm. Assign an error value to these distances by estimating
how accurately you were able to measure these distances.
2. Average the five times t you measured for a travel distance of 30 cm. Find the
standard deviation for these five times. [See Eq. II-8 and Eq. II-9 of
Experiment II if you have forgotten how to do this.]
3. Repeat step 2 above for the travel distances of 60 cm and 90 cm. Present all your
results in tabular form.

58

4. Plot your data with s values along the vertical axis, and t values along the
horizontal axis. Put horizontal and vertical error bars on each data point. Each
vertical error bar should extend from s to s + . Each horizontal error bar
should extend from t to t + where is the standard deviation associated
with that particular t .
5. According to Eq. III-1 with a = 0, the data should (ideally) lie on a straight line
through the origin.
Draw the best straight line that goes through the origin and also passes closest to your
data points. Do your points indeed seem to lie on a straight line within the accuracy
expected from the size of the error bars? Draw two other straight lines through the origin
that are consistent with the error bars on your data points. One line should have a larger
slope than the slope of the best straight line, and one should have a smaller slope. Your
data plot should look something like the picture in Fig. III-5.

Figure III-5: Data with Error Bars for No Acceleration

59

6. For the case of no acceleration (a = 0), write Eq. III-1 in the form

s = vt .

(III-5)

Here, for simplicity of notation, we have written v instead of v0 . However, you must
remember that for this case v is supposed to be constant. Find the slope of each straight
line, and from each slope determine from Eq. III-1 an associated value of the velocity v.
The value of v for the best line, call it vbest , is presumably the best value. The values of v
for the other two lines can be used to get some estimate of your experimental errors.
Express your experimental result for v in the form

v = vbest + u

or

w.

(III-6)

Determine the quantities u and w in such a way that the two poorer values of v result
when u and w are substituted into Eq. III-6. That is, determine u and w so that
vla rge = vbest + u and vsmall = vbest w .
Also state your estimated experimental error in percent by computing the ratios u vbest
and w vbest .
B. Motion with Constant Acceleration
7. You have made timing measurements for travel distances s having the nominal
values 5, 20, 45, and 80 cm. Assign an error value to these distances by
estimating how accurately you were able to measure these distances.
8. Average the five travel times t you measured for a travel distance of 5 cm. Find
the standard deviation for these five times.
9. Repeat step 8 above for the travel distances of 20, 45, and 80 cm. Present all your
results in tabular form.
10. According to (III-1), a plot of your s versus t data should result in a parabola. As
in Experiment II, we will use the trick you learned there to convert parabolic
data into linear data. (Review, if necessary, part VII 5 of Experiment II.) Plot
your data with s values along the vertical axis, and t 2 values along the horizontal
axis. Put error bars on each point. Each vertical error bar should extend from
2
s to s + . Each horizontal error bar should extend from (t ) to

(t + )2 , where is the standard deviation associated with that particular t .

11. According to (III-1) with v0 =0, the data should (ideally) lie on a straight line
through the origin. Draw the best straight line that goes through the origin and
also passes closest to your data points. Do your points indeed seem to lie on a

60

straight line within the accuracy expected from the size of the error bars? Draw
two other straight lines through the origin that are consistent with the error bars
on your data points. One line should have a larger slope than the slope of the
best straight line, and one should have a smaller slope. [Your plot should look
something like Fig. III-5, but with different variables.]
12. Find the slope of each straight line. From each slope determine from Eq. III-1,
with v0 =0, an associated value of a. Express your experimental result in the
general form

a = abest + u

or

w.

(III-7)

That is, determine u and w so that ala rge = abest + u and a small = abest w.
13. From Eq. III-3, Eq. III-4, and Eq. III-7 find the value of g implied by your
experimental result. Express your result in the general form

g = g best + u

or

w.

(III-8)

That is, determine u and w so that g la rge = g best + u and g small = g best w . Also
express your estimated experimental error in percent.
14. Compare your result for g with the correct value of g.
15. Consider the data for items VI-15, VI-16, and VI-17.
a. Average the turning point travel distances to get an average turning point
travel distance. Find the standard deviation in the turning point travel
distance.
b. Find the average turning point travel time, and its standard deviation.
c. Consider the starting point. For this point you know s = 0 at t = 0
without any error.
d. Consider the intermediate point. Assign an error value to its distance by
estimating how accurately you were able to measure its distance.
e. Consider the travel times associated with the intermediate point. You
should have two sets of travel times (with 5 values each) for this point:
one set of values from item VI-17a and one set from item VI-17c. Find
the average and standard deviation for each set.
f. Consider the full round trip. See item VI-17d. In this case we again have s
= 0 without any error. From your data (item VI-17d) find the average
round trip travel time and its standard deviation.

61

Present all your results in tabular form.

16. Consider the relation

s = (vbest )t + 12 ( abest )t 2 ,

(III-9)

where vbest and a best are given by Eq. III-6 and Eq. III-7, respectively. Make a graph
of this relation. If you wish, you may do this in the Computer Lab by running an
appropriate computer program from Experiment I.
17. Plot the data from item 15 above, with appropriate error bars, on the same graph.
Consistent with the error bars, do your data fall on the curve Eq. III-9? Discuss
briefly possible sources of error. Your plot should look something like what is shown
below in Fig. III-6. Note that the data need not fall exactly on the curve.

Figure III-6: Plot of Up-Hill Motion Showing Expected Motion and Experimental Data. The Expected
Motion Curve (a parabola) is shown as dashed for s < 0 since the Air Track ends at s = 0.

62