Jakob Middlebrooks Lab05 - Projectile Motion - Report

Lab05 – Projectile Motion American University Physics Department Date: Full Name: Jakob Middlebrooks Lab Partner Name(s): Tao Lab Class and Section: PHYS 110 Section 1 Lab Instructor: Anna Binion P HYSICS L AB N OTES  For safety and pedagogical reasons, you are only allowed to have one lab partner. If there are an odd number of students there may be one group of three.  Collected data may be shared with your lab partner(s). While you are encouraged to collaborate with your fellow students, labs are to be completed and submitted individually.  Lab Submission Details: 1. Create data tables and plots using spreadsheets, 2. Copy and paste data tables and plots into the provided lab report template, 3. Answer all lab report questions, 4. Save as or print completed lab report template as a PDF, 5. Submit PDF – only PDFs submissions are allowed!  If you need to edit the Report Template, go to Review → Restrict Editing → Stop Protection L AB O BJECTIVES  Use the kinematic equations of motion to predict the behaviour of a projectile experiencing uniform acceleration in one dimension.  Produce a two-dimensional representation of an object parameterized by time; that is, a 2D parametric plot!  Interpret time-dependent parametric plots.  Consider and implement attributes of careful speed and distance measurements. L AB R EPORT C HECKLIST  Activity #1 – Horizontal Speed Measurements o Tables and Results (3 points) o Questions (5 points)  Activity #2 – Projectile Motion Parametric Modelling o Tables (6 points) o Plot (3 points) o Question (1 point)  Activity #3 – One Shot o Question (2 points)

A CTIVITY #1 – H ORIZONTAL S PEED M EASUREMENTS A CTIVITY #1 E XHIBITS Measurements Table and Statistical Analysis Results: A CTIVITY #1 Q UESTIONS 1. (1 point) Use at least one complete sentence to describe the method you developed to achieve a consistent launch speed. We had the ramp and velocity tracker stationary the whole time and we made sure to always drop the ball from the same place at the top of the ramp to get the most consistent data possible. 2. (1 point) What is the optimal location to place the photogate timer? Please use at least one complete sentence to describe why you think this is the best place to measure the speed of the projectile. I think the optimal place to measure the speed of the object is far enough away from the ramp to where the ball is no longer accelerating and is already in motion per se so maybe about a foot or two away from the ramp. 3. (3 points) List or describe at least three phenomena that might contribute to systematic and/or random uncertainty in your measured value for the horizontal launch speed. It may help to recall how the photogate timer works! The ball may be going through at an angle through the timer causing the velocity to decrease because it takes a longer path between checkpoints. The table may have knicks and stuff and may not be the optimal surface to roll a ball over and the height at which we dropped the ball every time was only eyeballed so probably a tiny but off every trial.

A CTIVITY #3 – O NE S HOT No Exhibits for this part! But we hope you hit the target… A CTIVITY #3 Q UESTIONS 1. (2 points) Use at least two complete sentences to describe how you could improve the accuracy of your target shot. We could have clamped the ramp down to make sure it wasn’t being moved even a tiny amount from anyone touching it when the ball was dropped. We also could have measured from the table to the ending spot a little more accurately using a smaller measurement value such a millimeters.