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 **
I used a hotwheels ramp for this lab because I couldn't find the ramp in my lab materials.
** Will a steeper ramp give greater or lesser time? **
I would think that for the steepest ramp, the time required would be the shortest interval.
** As slopes increases will time intervals increase, decrease or show no pattern? **
I think the steepest slope would induce a greater velocity, which would mean that it would take a shorter time to travel that distance, so I think the steeper the slope, the shorter the time interval.
** Your report of 5 trials each way for 1 domino **
3.125
3.320
3.398
3.094
3.438
2.727
3.273
3.164
2.734
2.875
The first set of numbers represents the time it took the ball to travel down the ramp with the domino on the right end and the second with the domino on the left end.
** Your report of 5 trials each way for 2 dominoes **
I was thinking that simultaneously hitting the timer and pulling the domino is surprisingly difficult.
1.672
1.625
1.406
1.414
1.422
1.508
1.430
1.476
1.422
These are the time intervals for the ball when the 2 dominoes are first on the right and then on the left.
** Your report of 5 trials each way for 3 dominoes **
.719
.984
.813
.953
.703
.719
.766
.656
.703
.984
** Do your results support or fail to support your hypothesis about increasing or decreasing times? **
No, I think I was right. The slope with the greater slope has a shorter time interval, and the shortest time is the one with the steepest slope.
** How do you think ave velocity is related to slope? **
I think the steeper slope causes greater acceleration, which causes a higher average velocity. So I think the steeper slope causes a greater average velocity.
** Speculate on why ave velocity changes with slope. **
I suppose the steeper slopes are prone to greater acceleration because of the vertical effect of gravity, maybe.
** How could you test your speculations? **
Hmm. I guess if you were rich, you could try to perform the experiment in a gravity free sealed room. Well, I guess that wouldn't go so well since everything would be floating around. I guess I don't know how you'd prove it's gravity.
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50 min
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I'm a little concerned that I always seem to be missing one or more of the items for each lab. We were only supposed to get one lab package, right? The one with the DVDs/straws/foam square with pins/dominos/rulers/rubber bands/clips/screws/large heavy cylinder thing/bracket?
Your package would have included a piece of PVC pipe with duct tape on both ends. The ramps would be inside that pipe. The purpose of the pipe is to prevent the items inside from tearing the envelope.
The pipe was definitely packed in each package, and I doubt the bookstore would have lost one in handling, but it's possible. If you didn't get that part of the package, send me your mailing address and I'll mail you one.