Analysis of Flow Experiment
The graph below represents average velocity vs. clock time for one student's depth vs. clock time data.
- The graph is reasonably linear, indicating possibly uniform acceleration, but does show some possibly systematic deviations (first above, then below, then above the straight line).
- These deviations might be due to some nonuniformity in the shape of the container, to unavoidable experimental error, or to some nonuniformity in the hole from which the water flows.
The table below shows the calculation of average velocity = depth change / `dt, of the clock time corresponding to the midpoint of each time interval, of the `dt between each set of mid clock times, of the velocity change between each set of mid clock times, and the corresponding acceleration.
clock time depth
`dt
depth change
mid clock time
ave vel
`dt between mid clock times
vel change
accel
0
15
15
-1
7.5
-0.067
16
0.007843
0.00049
15
14
17
-1
23.5
-0.059
26
0.001681
0.000064
32
13
35
-2
49.5
-0.057
26.5
0.001587
0.000060
67
11
18
-1
76
-0.056
28.5
0.004274
0.00015
85
10
39
-2
104.5
-0.051
30
0.003663
0.000122
124
8
21
-1
134.5
-0.048
35.5
0.007619
0.000215
145
7
50
-2
170
-0.04
41
0.00875
0.000213
195
5
32
-1
211
-0.031
53.5
0.004583
0.000086
227
4
75
-2
264.5
-0.027
59.5
0.003939
0.000066
302
2
44
-1
324
-0.023
346
1
Acceleration values are not particularly uniform due to the crudity of the equipment used. Acceleration values as calculated from depths of 15, 10, 5 and 0 cm are more nearly uniform.
