Lab#6 - Acceleration - No Speed

Lab#6 Acceleration: (no speed)
d = d0 + + V0t + ½ at2
Objective: Measure the acceleration of a moving object based on its position as time
increases
Materials: Linear air track, two 60 gm weights, Millisecond timer, programs NO-SPEED.
EXE, graph paper.
Uniformly accelerated motion involves the four variables: distance, time, speed
and acceleration (as well as initial values for position and speed). Assume the
acceleration, a, is uniform, the object started from rest but at a distance, d0, from the
origin. Its position at any later time, t, is given by d = d0 + ½ at2
The object starts from rest

when the clock is started. So V 0 = 0.
The longer it moves, the farther it
travels, yet the acceleration, a, may
be constant. To verify this
expression for constant acceleration
we measure time, t, at different
distances from the starting point. The a values should be more of less the same, and
their average should be our best estimate of the actual acceleration.
It is also possible to do the averaging with a graph.
d = d0 + ½ at2 or d = d0 + ½ a(t2)
The first expression is a quadratic equation because the time term, t, is squared.
But if we consider (t2) as a single variable, as in the second expression, and on the
graph place d values along the vertical axis and (t2) along the horizontal axis, the
relation should give a straight line, with a slope of just one-half the acceleration, a. .
Notice this procedure does not measure acceleration at a specific point; rather in
measures the presumed constant acceleration over the entire distance interval, D.
Activity
1: Set up the air track and level it. After leveling the air track, place the aluminum block, wide
side down, under the left end to incline the track, to provide uniform glider acceleration.
2: Connect the magnetic starter to timer input A, and a photo sensor to input B. Set the timer
function to A Start - B Stop and range to 9.999 seconds.
3: Attach symmetrically two 60.0-gram weights to the glider. Determine d0 : Place the glider with
its steel bar touching the magnetic starter. Position sensor where it is almost ready to light once
the glider starts to move. This is position d0, the initial glider offset.
4: Position sensor B at 15.0 cm (0.15 m). Make sure the sensor is always vertical; if tipped, the
Acceleration: (no speed) d=do + V0t + ½ at2 1

time value will be in error. Make four time readings at this position.
5: Move sensor B to successive positions 0.05 meters apart, until at position 0.65, and make 4
time measurements at each position. Make the position measurement as accurately as
possible.
6: Change the block under the left end of the track, narrow side down. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
7: Use the use the program NO-SPEED. EXE to evaluate Taverage and (Taverage)2. Draw two neat
graph for the “narrow side down” data, one for Taverage and the other for (Taverage)2. Place time
along the horizontal axis and distance along the vertical axis. For the d-(t2) graph draw a best fit
straight line that comes closest to the most number of graph points. Measure the slope of this
line. It should equal ½ a. Also measure the vertical axis intercept, which is d0.
Initial glider offset: 9.0 cm d0 from the (Taverage)2 graph: _______________
Block wide side down

d meters T1 sec T2 sec T3 sec T4 sec Taverage (Taverage)2
0.15 0.727 0.711 0.698 0.774
0.20 0.933 0.929 0.937 0.935
0.25 1.119 1.121 1.132 1.120
0.30 1.267 1.261 1.259 1.269
0.35 1.395 1.345 1.379 1.357
0.40 1.543 1.544 1.551 1.517
0.45 1.659 1.666 1.659 1.643
0.50 1.736 1.723 1.730 1.738
0.55 1.859 1.878 1.869 1.854
Acceleration given by the computer: _______
Acceleration from the slope of your distance vs (time2) graph: ________________
Block narrow side down

d meters T1 sec T2 sec T3 sec T4 sec Taverage (Taverage)2
0.15 0.502 0.495 0.487 0.496
0.20 0.712 0.680 0.671 0.695
0.25 0.780 0.775 0.790 0.779
0.30 0.897 0.890 0.897 0.896
0.35 1.040 1.041 1.037 1.039
0.40 1.128 1.121 1.124 1.126
0.45 1.227 1.239 1.232 1.240
0.50 1.260 1.271 1.266 1.261
0.55 1.374 1.361 1.371 1.362
Acceleration given by the computer: _______
Acceleration from the slope of your distance vs (time2) graph: ________________
Acceleration: (no speed) d=do + V0t + ½ at2 2

Lab#6 - Acceleration - No Speed

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Lab#6 Acceleration: (no speed)

origin. Its position at any later time, t, is given by d = d0 + ½ at2

The object starts from rest

Acceleration: (no speed) d=do + V0t + ½ at2 1

Initial glider offset: 9.0 cm d0 from the (Taverage)2 graph: _______________

Block wide side down

Block narrow side down

Acceleration: (no speed) d=do + V0t + ½ at2 2

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