PhysicsLAB: Falling Coffee Filters 10/14/10 8:30 PM

Lab
Falling Coffee Filters
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Background Information: The amount of air resistance an object encounters is

directly proportional to its surface area and velocity. Terminal velocity, v t, is achieved
when the air resistance equals the object's weight and the object can no longer
accelerate. It reaches a state of dynamic equilibrium.

Experimental Procedure/Data: Each group needs three members: holder, measurer,

recorder. Each group needs three stacks of filters (1 filter, 2 filters, 4 filters) and two
meter sticks.

The purpose of the lab is to discover the release height for each group of filters that
will enable two groups, which have reached terminal velocity, to reach the floor at the
same time.

Data Table I: 2 filters

Holder: Experiment with simultaneously releasing the groups containing 1 filter and 2
filters to determine a best estimate for the appropriate release heights that allow the
two groups to strike the ground simultaneously. When ready, hold each group steady
so that their distance above the ground can be measured. Make sure that the flat side
is facing the ground.

Measurer: Measure the mass of each group of filters. Do NOT multiply the total by
the mass of one filter - MEASURE each group and record your information in the
data table provided below. Then measure how high each group of filters is above the
ground just as they are released. ALL filters should be released AT OR ABOVE 1.5
meter. Record to the nearest 1.0 cm.

Recorder: Record your heights in Data Chart #1. Repeat two more times. Input the
best trial's results in the final column. If all trials seem equivalent, calculate an
average value.

Data Table I trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 best results

number height (m) height (m) height (m) height (m)
one filter 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50

two filters 3.00 2.00 2.43 2.43

Data Table II: 4 filters

Holder: Experiment with simultaneously releasing the groups containing 2 filters and
4 filters to determine a best estimate for the appropriate release heights that allow the
two groups to strike the ground simultaneously. When ready, hold each group steady
so that their distance above the ground can be measured. Make sure that the flat side
is facing the ground.

Measurer: Measure the mass of each group of filters. Do NOT multiply the total by

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PhysicsLAB: Falling Coffee Filters 10/14/10 8:30 PM

the mass of one filter - MEASURE each group and record your information in the
data table provided below. Then measure how high each group of filters is above the
ground just as they are released. ALL filters should be released AT OR ABOVE 1.5
meter. Record to the nearest 1.0 cm.

Recorder: Record your heights in Data Chart #1. Repeat two more times. Input the
best trial's results in the final column. If all trials seem equivalent, calculate an
average value.

Data Table II trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 best results

number height (m) height (m) height (m) height (m)
two filters 1.50 1.50 2.00 1.50

four filters 2.43 2.13 2.66 2.13

Data Table III: Mass Data

Measurer: Measure the mass of each group of filters. Do NOT multiply the total by
the mass of one filter - MEASURE each group and record your information in the
data table provided below.

number of mass
filters (kg)
one filter .00340

two filters .00680

four filters .0136

Conclusions

Answer the following questions using the information from Data Tables #1, #2 and
#3, and the accompanying resource lessons on air resistance and terminal velocity.

Refer to the following information for the next three questions.

Freebody diagrams of a falling coffee filter:

A B C D E

... when first released, v = 0

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PhysicsLAB: Falling Coffee Filters 10/14/10 8:30 PM

A B C D E

... after falling a short time, v is small

A B C D E

... after reaching terminal velocity, v = v t

A B C D E

Part I Part II

.617 .704

.707 .707

% difference 12.7% .424%

Since one set of data produced a better result that the other, postulate on what
conditions may have produced the poorer result.

The poorer result may in Part I may have been produced by both filters not being released at precisely

Describe how the filters "behaved" when they were moving at terminal velocity so
that someone who was not present during the experiment could use filters "at home"
to see the same phenomena.

The filters when moving at terminal velocity continued to fall at a constant speed (or terminal velocity)

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