Measuring the acceleration due to gravity in the lab Essay Example for Free

Measuring the acceleration receivable to graveness in the lab adjudicateThe distance between the ceiling and the floor (h) was measured. A rubber was then freeped from the ceiling and the prison term taken for it to film the ground was recorded. Results Attempt Time taken (sec) 1 0. 47 2 0. 45 3 0. 71 4 0. 55 5 0. 5 6 0. 71 7 0. 4 8 0. 46 9 0. 58 10 0. 56 Average Time = Sum of all times Number of Times = (0. 47+0. 45+0. 71+0. 55+0. 5+0. 71+0. 4+0. 46+0. 58+0. 56) 10 = 5. 85 10 = 0. 59 sec (to 2 dp) H = height of the drop T = time taken Acceleration due to gravity = 2H T2 =2(2. 59) 0. 592 = 5. 18 0. 3481 = 14. 88 m/s2 (to 2 dp) Evaluation The results circled in the table are anomalous. at that place was a wide range of results, from 0. 4 to 0. 71. This spread of results indicates that the data may be in dead-on(prenominal). Although the examine was repeated nine times, different results were found at or so every attempt. This could be due to the timing methods used. A st op clock held by a person was used to measure the time the rubber took to hit the ground. As a humans reaction times are not perfect, the button could have been pressed long after the rubber had touched the ground. Also, the horologe could have pressed the button too early at the time he expected the rubber to fall in order to try and spring up a more accurate time.As the area used was not a vacuum, air resistance would have affected the results. The shape of the rubber dropped was a pyramid, so air resistance would be different dependant on the side upon which it was dropped. These reasons explain why some of the results were anomalous. I do not count that the procedure was accurate enough to measure the acceleration due to gravity in the lab. The timing apparatus was too imprecise and the air resistance due to the lack of a vacuum meant that the data was not as exact as was needed.A more suitable set of timing equipment would have been to counterchange the stop clock with a li ght-gate and data-logger. A light gate would be positioned at the top of the drop, with one at the bottom. The computer would then calculate the time taken much more accurately. The air resistance could not be helped, as a vacuum would be highly impractical and unnecessary for our purposes. However, if it were possible, the experiment should have been performed in a complete vacuum. If a perfectly spherical object were used then the air resistance wouldnt be different no calculate how it was dropped.The experiment should be repeated in exactly the same fashion as before, but with the changes outlined above implemented. This would give more accurate results. It should then be repeated in the same way as this, but with a denser object of the same dimensions. This would show that the acceleration was due to gravity and not the mass of the object. One more experiment should be undertaken with the same stipulations but an increased dropping height. This would show that the acceleration is the same no matter how high the object is dropped from.