Lab06-AirResistance-InPerson-Exploration-v2

Lab 6: Air Resistance Physics 112 © 2021 San Francisco State University 3 3. Copy/Paste your Position column (Column B) into Column D. 4. Select all cells with your data in Column C (Time) and Column D (Position). Include the column title cells in Row 1. 5. Insert a Scatter Plot with all the data for your first experiment. Do NOT choose a plot that connects the dots. (In Excel, click the Insert menu, find the “Charts” section and click drop down menu next to the scatter plot icon, choose the disconnected dots scatter plot. Verify that position is on the Y-axis, and time should be on the X-axis. If not, make sure Time is the first column you selected and Position is the second. See your instructor for assistance if required. 6. Observe whether your data appears to fall along a straight line, or does the data appear to curve upwards at first, and only later does it seem to follow a straight line? Recall that this happens due to the low velocity limit and the high velocity limit of air resistance. 7. Choose a data point where your data has begun to follow a straight upward sloping diagonal line. Note the time in your lab notes. 8. Insert a new scatter plot, but this time include only data points for times after this data point. Select cells in Columns C and D with times greater than this data point. Hint: You may have to omit the first 5 or more rows of data. 9. Add a trend line to your plot, and display the equation on the chart. In Excel, right click on any data point, then choose “Add Trendline…”. Then, right click on the trendline that appears, click on “Format Trendline…”, find the chart option “display equation on chart”. Ask your instructor if you need assistance. 10. Record the equation for this trendline in your lab notes. Recall from the introduction that the slope of the trendline ought to be equal to m*g / b, which is the terminal velocity. 11. If necessary, convert your slope’s units to m/s. Record the terminal velocity in your lab notes. 12. Repeat Steps 2-7 with your second and third set of experimental data, and record your new trendline equations to find different terminal velocities. Part E: Calculations of Air Drag Coefficient, b 1. Calculate the Weight Force for each of your experimental trials. The mass of a coffee filter alone is 1 gram. (W= m*g), using the combined mass of the filter with any objects it was holding. Make sure to convert your measurements to units of Newtons (Recall: 1 N = 1 kg m/s^2.) Record the Weights in your lab notes. 2. Start a new spreadsheet. Make a new 2 column x 3 row data table (plus headers) with your measured terminal velocities (Part D Step 11) in the first column, and the corresponding Weights in the second column. 3. Highlight the 2x3 data table, and insert a scatter plot of Weight (y-axis) vs Terminal Velocity (x-axis). Insert a trendline between these points. Display the equation and record the slope of the trendline . The slope of this line is the value of your drag coefficient, b. The drag coefficient describes the shape and surface area of the coffee filter.