Laboratory for 9/4/97 and 9/5/97

1. Measuring g
The Behr freefall apparatus will produce a strip of waxed paper with small dots showing the position of a freefalling "torpedo" at equal intervals of 1/60 of a second. (Note that because of the manual release, the time between the first and second dots is not known.)
Make a systematic selection of at least 10 dots between the top and bottom of the strip to determine the value of g in the lab. Discuss a plan of action with your partner before beginning measurements. The goal is to determine the acceleration due to gravity (g) with as much accuracy as possible and to determine, within error, if g is in fact a constant. You may use any appropriate calculations, averaging techniques, or graphs you wish. The following things should appear in your lab report.

1. Justify your method. Clearly state how your calculations will correctly yield a value for g.
2. Estimate the error in your value of g based upon the accuracy of your measurements and/or consistency of individual calculations.
3. Include at least a plot of position vs time. You may wish to calculate g using graphing techniques. Of course, include any other graphs you use.

2. Acceleration of Humans
This exercise will be done with groups of 6 or more individuals. Choose one member of the group as the sprinter. You will determine the acceleration of the sprinter as a function of position. Make a least five measurements over a reasonable distance.
Discuss a plan of action with your partners. Stopwatches, measuring tapes, and markers are avaliable. You should decide how you will calculate the average acceleration over the intervals in conjunction with the measurements you will make. You should try to minimize the number of trials the sprinter has to perform. You should also try to eliminate or minimize the effect of the reaction times of both the sprinter and the timers.
In your report, fully describe the technique you used. Plot average acceleration vs distance. Discuss the results.