initial timing experiment

Your 'initial timing experiment' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.

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Initial Timing Experiment

You may enter any message or comment you wish in the box below:

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In this experiment you will use the TIMER program, a hardcover book, a cylinder or some other object that will roll along the book in a relatively straight line, and a ruler or the equivalent (if you don't have one, note the RULERS link on the Assignments page).

Place the book on a flat level tabletop.  You will prop one end of the book up a little bit, so that when it is released the object will roll without your assistance, gradually speeding up, from the propped-up end to the lower end.  However don't prop the end up too much.  It should take at least two seconds for the ball to roll down the length of the book when it is released from rest.

Then reverse the direction of the book on the tabletop, rotating the book and its prop 180 degrees so that the ball will roll in exactly the opposite direction.  Repeat your measurements.

In the box below describe your setup, being as specific as possible about the book used (title, ISBN) and the object being used (e.g., a solid glass marble, a small can of tomato paste (full or empty?), a ball-point pen), and what you used to prop the object up (be as specific as possible).   Also describe how well the object rolled--did it roll smoothly, did it speed up and slow down, did it roll in a straight line or did its direction change somewhat?

Note:  Don't trust this form.  Compose your answer in Notepad or a word processor, saving it every few minutes, then copy and paste it into the box.  Power could surge, your computer could malfunction, in any of a number of ways the work you put into this form could be lost.  Compose it elsewhere and keep a copy.

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I used 2 books in my experiment. One was used to prop the other book up slightly. The book used to roll the object on was Calculus, 8th edition by larson. ISBN -0618-50298-x. the object used was a blue ball from the initial lab kit. The ball rolled very smoothly in a straight line. It sped up as it rolled down the incline.

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In the box below report your data.  State exactly what was measured, how it was measured, how accurately you believe it was measured and of course what the measurements were.  Try to organize your report so the reader can easily scan your data and see any patterns that might occur.

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The first thing that was measured was time; using the timer program. The data from this was.

Clocked time time interval

1 61.21875 61.21875

2 61.42188 .203125

3 61.60938 .1875

2nd to be measured was the length and height of the book. The length was 10 2/3 inches.

The height was 3 ½ inches. The object used to measure this was a tape measure.

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Using your data determine how fast the object was moving, on the average, as it rolled down the incline.  Estimate how accurately you believe you were able to determine the object's average speed, and give the best reasons you can for your estimate of the accuracy.

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the average was .1731 as it rolled down the incline.i dont believe i was able to accurately determine the objects speed due again to human triggering. I could of stoppedthe timer a second or2 before it actually reached the end of the incline.

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Devise and concuct an experiment to determine whether or not the object is speeding up as it rolls down the incline.  If you have set the experiment up as indicated, it should seem pretty obvious that the object is in fact speeding up.  But figure out a way to use actual measurements to support your belief.

Explain how you designed and conducted your experiment, give your data and explain how your data support your conclusions.

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i passed a piece of thread closer to the top and lower half of the book. i placed the book the same height as i did before in the first experiment. i measured the distance between each thread. i released the ball at the top of the. as it rolled passed the first thread, i measured the time at each thread point. and from that i was able to calculate that the ball was speeding up.

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Your instructor is trying to gauge the typical time spent by students on these experiments.  Please answer the following question as accurately as you can, understanding that your answer will be used only for the stated purpose and has no bearing on your grades: 

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45 mins

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You may add optional comments and/or questions in the box below.

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A smaller slope would likely have resulted in longer times, which could have given you a lesser percent uncertainty.

h3>Good work. It seems clear that you understand.