Finding the acceleration of a uniformly accelerating body (Lab 1)
In Lab 1 we watch a ball roll down an inclined channel from rest with uniformly accelerated motion. From rest s = at²/2, so a = 2s/t². Therefore to find the acceleration we only need the distance s (tape measure) and time t (stopwatch). Set the channel at a small angle, release the ball from the same place each time, repeat 3–5 times and take the average time. Measurement errors come from delays in starting and stopping the stopwatch. Work under a teacher’s or adult’s supervision and put a stopper at the end of the channel so the ball cannot fall off the table.
Experiment: channel (or a ruler groove), small ball, stopwatch, stopper. 1) Tilt the channel slightly on books; 2) measure s; 3) release the ball and measure t three times; 4) compute a = 2s/t². Safety: only under teacher supervision; use a stopper so the ball does not hit the floor.