Lab Activity 3 - Free Fall Motion

GENERAL PHYSICS 1

Names: __ ____________________________ Date:

Section: ______________________________ Score: /110
LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 3

FREE-FALL MOTION
INTRODUCTION:
Objects fall to the ground due to gravity and gravity alone. But for falling for
your classmate or anyone else, gravity has nothing to do with that! The time it takes
(represented by t) for an object dropped from an initial height 𝑦0 undergoing a
free-fall motion is such that the equation below is satisfied,
1
y0 = 2 gt2 (3.1)
where 𝑔 = 9.8 𝑚/𝑠2.
Equation 3.1 assumes no air resistance; for this reason, motion does not
depend on the mass and geometry of the falling object. This means that two objects
of different masses or geometric structures released at the same height would
simultaneously reach the ground. This implies that no matter how many diets you
would make, whether you are fat or not, jumping into the ground from a certain
height would take the same time. But perhaps it is a different story when you fall
for someone. Well, that is just to make you smile before performing this
experiment.
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this activity, the student is expected to:
1. To measure the time of fall of an object in free-fall motion.
2. To calculate the acceleration due to gravity.
3. To show that the time of fall is independent of the object's mass falling.
MATERIALS:
1 Small Marble 1 Meter Stick
1 Big Marble 1 Stopwatch
PROCEDURES:
1. Measure height of 3.00-m on the wall using a meterstick. This is to ensure the
accuracy of the initial height y, the length of the string. (Truthfully, you can use any
measurement like 2.00-m or less, but longer length means the longer time of flight,
and longer time of flight to be measured means a relatively lower ratio of error in
the start and stop runs of the stopwatch. We cannot go beyond 3.00 m, although it
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GENERAL PHYSICS 1
gives us a long time (hence, lower error) because it may cause danger to the
experimenter.
2. Climb to a higher surface and hang the string by holding the upper edge, so the
lower edge just touches the floor.
3. At the upper level of the string, drop the first mass (small marble) and see to it
that you click START on the stopwatch at the same time as you release the mass.
Then click STOP just right when the mass touches the ground. Repeat this five times
and write your data on the Table 3.1 and 3.2 provided.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the second mass (big marble).
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GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Activity No. 3 – Laboratory Report
Names: __ ____________________________ Date:

Section: ______________________________ Score: /85
Table 3.1. Recorded Data for Mass 1 (Small Marble): (10 points)
Trials 𝒕 (s) 𝒕𝟐 (s2)
𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒:
Average 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒2:
1. Take the square of 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒. This is now the square of the average time of fall.
Derive equation 3.1 to solve for 𝑔. Show your calculations in the space
provided below.
Calculated 𝑔: _________ (5 points) % error: _________ (5 points)
2. Recalculate 𝑔 in the same manner as in #1, but this time, instead of squaring
𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒, use 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒2 in the Table 3.1. Show your calculations in the space
provided below.
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GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Table 3.2. Recorded Data for Mass 2 (Big Marble): (10 points)
Trials 𝒕 (s) 𝒕𝟐 (s2)
𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒:
Average 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒2:
3. Take the square of 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒. This is now the square of the average time of fall.
Derive equation 3.1 to solve for 𝑔. Show your calculations in the space
provided below.
4. Recalculate 𝑔 in the same manner as in #1 but this time, instead of squaring

𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒, use 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒2 in the Table 3.2.
5. Guide question: Could you show from your calculated g that the time of fall is
independent of the mass? If there are differences in your calculated g from
your data, why is that? (5 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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GENERAL PHYSICS 1
CONCLUSION: (10 points)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
DOCUMENTATIONS: (10 points)
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GENERAL PHYSICS 1

Names: __________________________ Date:

LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 3

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the second mass (big marble).

Activity No. 3 – Laboratory Report

Names: __________________________ Date:

Calculated 𝑔: _ (5 points) % error: _ (5 points)

Calculated 𝑔: _ (5 points) % error: _ (5 points)

Calculated 𝑔: _ (5 points) % error: _ (5 points)

4. Recalculate 𝑔 in the same manner as in #1 but this time, instead of squaring

Calculated 𝑔: _ (5 points) % error: _ (5 points)

CONCLUSION: (10 points)

DOCUMENTATIONS: (10 points)

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