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    Student Exploration: Free-Fall Laboratory

    Uploaded by

    Aryan Patel
    The document is a student exploration activity about measuring the motion of objects in free fall using a simulation. It involves dropping various objects from different heights through both air and a vacuum and analyzing the graphs of height, velocity, and acceleration over time. The student is asked to observe how long it takes objects to fall, whether their velocity stays constant, the relationship between acceleration, time and velocity, and how objects move differently in a vacuum compared to in air.

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    Student Exploration: Free-Fall Laboratory

    Uploaded by

    Aryan Patel
    54 views2 pages
    The document is a student exploration activity about measuring the motion of objects in free fall using a simulation. It involves dropping various objects from different heights through both air and a vacuum and analyzing the graphs of height, velocity, and acceleration over time. The student is asked to observe how long it takes objects to fall, whether their velocity stays constant, the relationship between acceleration, time and velocity, and how objects move differently in a vacuum compared to in air.

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    FreeFallSE (1) (1)

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    The document is a student exploration activity about measuring the motion of objects in free fall using a simulation. It involves dropping various objects from different heights through both air and a vacuum and analyzing the graphs of height, velocity, and acceleration over time. The student is asked to observe how long it takes objects to fall, whether their velocity stays constant, the relationship between acceleration, time and velocity, and how objects move differently in a vacuum compared to in air.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    54 views2 pages

    Student Exploration: Free-Fall Laboratory

    Uploaded by

    Aryan Patel
    The document is a student exploration activity about measuring the motion of objects in free fall using a simulation. It involves dropping various objects from different heights through both air and a vacuum and analyzing the graphs of height, velocity, and acceleration over time. The student is asked to observe how long it takes objects to fall, whether their velocity stays constant, the relationship between acceleration, time and velocity, and how objects move differently in a vacuum compared to in air.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

    Student Exploration: Free-Fall Laboratory


    The Free-Fall Laboratory Gizmo allows you to measure the motion of an
    object in free fall. On the DESCRIPTION tab, check that the Shuttlecock
    is selected, the Initial height is 3 meters, and the Atmosphere is Air.

    1. Click Play ( ) to release the shuttlecock. How long does it take to

    fall to the bottom? _________________________________________

    2. Select the GRAPH tab. The box labeled h (m) should be checked,
    displaying a graph of height vs. time. What does this graph show?

    3. Turn on the v (m/s) box to see a graph of velocity vs. time. Velocity is
    the speed and direction of the object. Velocity is also referred to as
    instantaneous velocity. Because the shuttlecock is falling
    downward, its velocity is negative.

    Does the velocity stay constant as the object drops? _____________

    4. Turn on the a (m/s2) box to see a graph of acceleration vs. time. Acceleration is the rate at
    which the velocity changes over time. What does this graph show?

    5. Experiment: On the Atmosphere menu, select None. Drop each item, and record the
    results below.

    Shuttlecock Cotton ball Tennis ball Rock Pebble

    6. Analyze: What happened when objects fell through a vacuum?

    7. Calculate: Select the Shuttlecock. Check that the Initial height is 3 meters and the
    Atmosphere is None. Click Play and wait for the Shuttlecock to fall. Select the BAR CHART
    tab and turn on Show numerical values.

    A. How long did it take the shuttlecock to fall to the bottom?

    B. What was the acceleration of the shuttlecock during its fall?

    C. What was the velocity of the shuttlecock when it hit the bottom?

    D. What is the mathematical relationship between these three values?


    8. Make a rule: If the acceleration is constant and the starting velocity is zero, what is the
    relationship between the acceleration of a falling body (a), the time it takes to fall (t), and its
    instantaneous velocity when it hits the ground (v)?
    Express your answer as an equation relating v, a, and t: v =

    9.Test: Click Reset. On the DESCRIPTION tab, set the Initial height to 12 meters. Click Play.

    E. How long did it take for the shuttlecock to fall 12 meters?

    F. Assuming the acceleration is still -9.81 m/s2, what is the velocity of the shuttlecock
    when it hits the ground? Show your work below.

    G. Select the BAR CHART tab. What is the final velocity of the shuttlecock?

    H. Does this agree with your calculated value?


    Question: How long does it take an object to fall from a given height?

    10.Observe: Select the Rock, and set the Initial height to 3 meters. Choose the GRAPH tab,
    and click Play to drop the rock through a vacuum. Turn on all three graphs.

    A. What is the shape of the graph of velocity vs. time? __________________________

    B. What is the shape of the graph of acceleration vs. time? ______________________

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