Phy 231
Your 'ball down ramp' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
** Your general comment **
There was no 30 cm piece of standard-shelving in the lab kit. I was given one about 6 cm, which I guess will have to suffice for now.
** Will a steeper ramp give greater or lesser time? **
The time required to roll down the steepest ramp will be the least total amount.
** As slopes increases will time intervals increase, decrease or show no pattern? **
the time intervals would be decreasing as the slopes increase.
** Your report of 5 trials each way for 1 domino **
0.953
1.000
1.000
0.938
0.938
0.875
0.859
0.766
0.953
0.875
The data above is presented in seconds. I collected this data by setting up the ramp (6 cm long - not 30 cm, because I don't have that length of track) with one domino under the end, just as described in the directions above. I placed the metal bracket at the bottom of the ramp to act as a stop and also as an easy mechanism for determining when the ball reaches the bottom of the ramp. I placed a domino in the track itseld, but not 3 inches down because of the shortened length of my track. I placed the domino 1.5 cm down and marked that position on the track. I then placed the ball on the track, touching the domino. With my left hand, I removed the domino while simultaneously clicking the timer button with my right hand. When the ball struck the bracket, I clicked the timer button again. I did this 5 times, then repeated with the domino under the opposite end of the track.
During practing and performing the trials, I was thinking about increasing velocity and how the ball seems to be picking up speed as it moves down the track.
** Your report of 5 trials each way for 2 dominoes **
0.766
0.656
0.719
0.719
0.672
0.656
0.656
0.578
0.625
0.594
The data is recorded in seconds. It was collected in the same manner as above, with the exception that two dominoes were placed under the track. I again started with two dominoes under the right side of the track, took 5 runs, and then moved the dominoes under the left side of the track and repeated the exercise.
** Your report of 5 trials each way for 3 dominoes **
0.547
0.531
0.563
0.563
0.531
0.516
0.484
0.516
0.484
0.516
** Do your results support or fail to support your hypothesis about increasing or decreasing times? **
The results support my original statements on the time intervals decreasing as the slope increases.
** How do you think ave velocity is related to slope? **
It is clear that as more dominoes are placed under the track, the average velocity of the ball increases.
** Speculate on why ave velocity changes with slope. **
I would imagine it has something to do with gravity. That is, as the slope increases, the gravity pulls the ball down the ramp with an increasing amount of force.
** How could you test your speculations? **
My speculation on gravity can be verified by possibly performing this type of experiment in a vacuum or some type of setting where the ball will be unaffected by gravity; in a condition such as this, the ball should roll down the ramp with the same velocity, regardless of how steep it is.
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45 minutes
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You have good data. For future reference note that the shelf standard you have is about 15 cm long.