P1004105

Free fall with the 2-1 timer

Physics Mechanics Energy conservation & impulse

   
Difficulty level Group size Preparation time Execution time

hard 2 10 minutes 20 minutes

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel.: 0551 604 - 0 [email protected]

37079 Göttingen Fax: 0551 604 - 107 www.phywe.de
P1004105

Teacher information

Application

We encounter free fall in everyday life wherever things fall to the ground.
History even says that Isaac Newton first got the idea for his theories
and conclusions on mechanics and gravitation and their transfer to
celestial mechanics from an apple falling from a tree.

However, the lower the density of the falling body and the larger its
surface, the more the free fall becomes a less accelerated, or
decelerated fall. In a vacuum, however, all objects fall at the same rate.

The acceleration due to gravity g = 9, 81 m/s2 is by no means a constant:

it becomes smaller with increasing distance from the earth's surface.

Experiment set-up

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P1004105

Other teacher information (1/2)

Prior Students should be familiar with the concepts of velocity and acceleration, and
potential and kinetic energy. They should know that the gravitational force follows
knowledge from the acceleration due to gravity. Furthermore, students should be
mathematically able to determine the slope of a straight line and to perform a
dimensional analysis of the slope found.

The mass of the steel ball experiences a constant rectified force in the gravitational
Scientific field of the earth, which accelerates the ball uniformly.
principle
Friction effects on air are negligible in the context of this experiment, as is the
buoyancy of the sphere due to the air surrounding it.

Other teacher information (2/2)

In this experiment, the students are asked to experimentally determine the

Learning acceleration due to gravity g, and recognize that free fall is a uniformly accelerated
objective motion.

Tasks 1. The students drop a steel ball from a holder and measure the drop times for
different drop heights h with the help of two light barriers.

2. Examine the resulting measured values for drop distance h and fall time t for
laws, which connect the two sizes and calculate from them finally value of the
acceleration due to gravity g.

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P1004105

Safety instructions

The general instructions for safe experimentation in science lessons apply to this
experiment.

Student Information

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Motivation

Free fall occurs wherever an object is dropped from a

certain height. This applies to a drop tower in an
amusement park as well as to bungee jumping, parachute
jumping or jumping from a 10 m tower in an outdoor
swimming pool.

As you know, the fall time depends on the mass of the

falling body and the acceleration due to gravity. In addition,
there is generally a deceleration due to air resistance.

In this experiment, you determine the height-dependent

fall times of a sphere with the aid of two light barriers,
investigate the given laws and use them to determine the
acceleration due to gravity.
Free fall in the amusement park

Tasks

1. Drop a steel ball from a holding clamp and measure the

time t required for the ball has to pass for the given drop
height h . Repeat the experiment for different drop
heights.

2. Examine the measured data for regularities that link the

measured quantities of height of fall and time of fall and
determine the acceleration due to gravity from the
measured values.

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Equipment
Position Material Item No. Quantity
1 Support base, variable 02001-00 1
2 Support rod, stainless steel, l = 600 mm, d = 10 mm 02037-00 1
3 Boss head 02043-00 2
4 Measuring tape, l = 2 m 09936-00 1
5 Ball release unit 02505-00 1
6 Steel ball, d = 19 mm 02502-01 1
7 PHYWE Timer 2-1 13607-99 1
8 Light barrier, compact 11207-20 1
9 Connecting cord, 32 A, 1000 mm, red 07363-01 1
10 Connecting cord, 32 A, 1000 mm, yellow 07363-02 2
11 Connecting cord, 32 A, 1000 mm, blue 07363-04 2

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37079 Göttingen Fax: 0551 604 - 107 www.phywe.de
P1004105

Set-up (1/3)

Set up the support.

To do this, screw the split support rods

together and fasten them vertically in
the assembled support base.

Attach a boss head at the very top of

the long support rod and a second one
halfway down.

Screwing the support rods Attach boss heads to support

rod

Set-up (2/3)

Screw the holding pin to the forked light barrier so that it can be held in the double socket. Connect the
light barrier to the timing device. Plug one yellow and one blue cable into the sockets on the clamp. Plug
the other ends of the cables into the two sockets in the "Start" field. The polarity does not matter here.
Clamp the light barrier horizontally into the lower boss head.

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Set-up (3/3)

Clamp the light barrier horizontally into the

lower sleeve. The hole of the ball release
unit must be aligned with the light beam of
the light barrier when viewed from above.
On the timing device, set the slide switch
above the field labeled "Start" to the left
position so that opening the circuit at the
"Start" input of the timing device starts the
stopwatch.

Set the rotary switch on the timing device to

the third position from the left. The timing
device then displays the time that has
Align the hole of the ball release
Ball release unit elapsed between the interruption of the
unit with the light barrier.
horizontally in the boss start circuit and the light barrier.
head

Procedure (1/2)

Before each measurement, press the "Reset"-button on the timing device

only after the ball has been clamped into the ball release unit and the
contacts of the start circuit are closed. The timing will then start when the
circuit is opened.

Using the measuring tape, determine the distance between the lower edge
of the ball in the release unit and the middle seam of the light barrier.
h = 7, 5 cm on.

Note: Always clamp the ball in the release unit in the same way.

(The lower light barrier should still be mounted high enough in each partial
experiment so that you can catch the ball underneath with your hand).
Experiment set-up
Now open the release as quickly as possible.

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P1004105

Procedure (2/2)

Read off the fall time on the measuring device and enter it in Table 1 of the
report.

Check whether you get the same values with repeated measurements. If
not, check that the ball is making proper contact and that you are clamping
the ball the same way each time.

If the ball does not hit the light beam of the lower light barrier or touches
the light barrier housing or you have measured times greater than 0.5 s,
then adjust the drop distance and repeat the measurement until you get a
reproducible result.

Change the distance from the lower edge of the ball to the middle seam of
Experiment set-up the light barrier successively to 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 45 cm
and repeat the time measurements.

Report

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P1004105

Table 1

Carry the fall times t in the h [cm] ht [=s] 7.5cm

t2 [hs2 ]= 7.5cm
table.
h = 10cm: h = 10cm:
7,5
then calculate from this the
h = 15cm: h = 15cm:
squared fall times t2 and 10
enter them in the table as
h = 20cm: h = 20cm:
well. 15
h = 30cm: h = 30cm:
20
h = 40cm: h = 40cm:
30

40 h = 45cm: h = 45cm:

45

Task 1

Now take a sheet of paper and create a diagram on

it. In this diagram you set the height h (y-axis) as a
function of the square of the fall time t2 (x axis).

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Task 2

Consider the measured values. Which statements are correct?

 The fall time t grows disproportionately with the height of fall h .

 The fall time t grows underproportionally with the height of fall h .

 With a quadrupling of the drop height h the fall time doubles t

 Since with a doubling of the fall height h , the fall time t does not also double, the speed must change
during the fall.

 Check

Task 3

For Table 1, a graph was plotted in which the drop height h versus the square of the fall time t2 .
You should get a decent linear relationship.

Investigate the dimension of the slope k of the origin line, i.e. the proportionality factor between
h t
and 2 and choose the right unit!

k m/s2 - acceleration.
 [ ]=

k N /m2 - pressure.
 [ ]=

k m/s - speed.
 [ ]=

 Check

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P1004105

Task 4

What would a diagram look like in which the height of fall h against the time t would have been
plotted?

 This would result in a root-shaped course.

 The result would be a shifted parabola.

 This would result in a straight line of origin.

 This would result in a parabola through the origin.

 Check

Task 5

Calculate the numerical value of the For a uniformly accelerated motion with acceleration a
slope k from the origin line and enter it applies to the t distance travelled s s = 1/2 ⋅ a ⋅ t2 .
below
In this experiment, the drop height h the distance covered s
in the diagram. Calculate the acceleration with this
information a and enter the value in the window.
.
k [m/s^2]

. a = 2k [m/
k = m/s2

a = 2k = m/s2

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P1004105

Slide Score/Total

Slide 18: Conclusions of the measured value 0/3

Slide 19: Inferences of the diagram 0/1
Slide 20: Consideration of h(t) 0/1

Total 0/5

 Solutions  Repeat  Export text

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37079 Göttingen Fax: 0551 604 - 107 www.phywe.de