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Lab Report Procedure 1

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6 views

Lab Report Procedure 1

Uploaded by

chorizo3478
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Procedures: Acceleration due to Gravity LAB 3

Dhruv Prajapati

Equipment and its usage:

• Rulers and callipers are used to measure distances and sizes of objects involved in the
experiment with precision.
• Use a level tool to make sure the setup is on level. This is very important in what are
supposed to be accurate measurements and results that can be relied upon.
• Install a 1.2m track that is horizontal on a flat surface. This track is for the Smart Cart
to move along.
• Mount a Smart Cart equipped with a position sensor on the track. The readings from
this sensor will record the cart's position throughout the experiment.
• The next step will be to set up the air table below the track to create a surface
free of friction which will minimise the external forces that could a7ect the
motion.
• To study the motion of objects in a controlled environment, one can also use
puck on the air table.
• Thereafter, to capture the video footage of the experiment, a phone or another
device should be used such as a high-speed USB camera to record the motion
accurately.

Description:

• Make sure that the surface where the experiment takes place is perfectly level to
avoid any inclination that might a7ect the results. Adjust the air table to provide a
frictionless environment for the Smart Cart's motion, minimizing external forces.
Next, Position the Smart Cart at the starting point of the track, ready for motion.
(Use rulers and callipers to measure the distances involved in the experiment.

• We can use any object for the experiment such as a book or any other solid
object that can be tested upon.

• Thereafter, set up the recording device (phone or USB camera) to capture the
motion of the Smart Cart.

• We will measure the variables when the object, here puck, descends from the
inclined plane. Weight force, W= mg can be attributed, where m= mass of the
puck and g= acceleration due to gravity.

Measurement Procedure:

Smart Cart Motion: Initiate the motion of the Smart Cart and record the position of the
cart as a function of time.
• Conduct multiple trials of the experiment to gather a dataset for more accurate
and reliable results.

• Use rulers and callipers to ensure precise measurements of distances involved


in the experiment.

Acceleration Measurement:

"
• Use the equation of motion: 𝑠 = 𝑣! 𝑡 + # 𝑎𝑡 # , where ‘s’ is displacement, ‘u’ is
initial velocity, ‘t’ is time, and ‘a’ is acceleration.

"
• Since the cart starts from rest u = 0, the equation simplifies to 𝑠 = # 𝑎𝑡 # . Note
that acceleration is taken as unknown here, which means it is not taken with its
direction taken into consideration.

#$
• Rearrange the equation to solve for acceleration: 𝑎 = % !

• For the inclined plane, F= g.sin(x) can be used from which a=g.sin(x) can be
used. Here, g = constant (Acceleration due to gravity) that is 9.8 m/s^2.

3. Graphical Analysis:

• Position vs. Time Graphs: Plot position vs. time graphs for each trial, aiming for a
linear relationship.

• Linear Graph Importance: Explain why a linear graph is preferable, as it


simplifies the determination of acceleration.

(The last step would be to find any errors and discuss the error propagation. This
can be done by using formulae given in the manual and including the rea-time
errors or sources of errors in brief in the report.)

Error Analysis list of formulae:

1. Average or Mean (𝑥):


"
Formula: ⟨𝑥⟩ = & ∑&'(" 𝑥'
Provides an estimate close to the true value for a large number of measurements.

2. Standard Deviation (𝜎):


"
Formula: 𝜎 # = &)" ∑&'("(𝑥' − ⟨𝑥⟩)
#
Measures the variation in measurements.

3. Standard Error (𝑈* ):


+
Formula: 𝑈* =
√&
Provides a confidence interval (e.g., 95% confidence interval).

Note: Apart from this, the dimensional analysis and error formula can be applied to find
the change in error, either positive or negative, and precise results can be found.

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