EXPERIMENT: Data Collection
1. Predictions:
What's the fastest you think you can comfortably pitch in miles per hour?
What are the reasons for your prediction?
Would you call your prediction a guess, a hypothesis, or something in between? Explain why.
2. Collecting data on pitching speeds
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Distance (m)
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t1(s)
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t2 (s)
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t3 (s)
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Avg. t (s)
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Avg. speed (m/s)
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Avg. speed (miles/h)
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Compare your results to your predictions. How well did you predict?
3. Calculations with computers and spreadsheets:
How do the average times and speeds calculated by your spreadsheet program compare to the manual calculations you made on the same data in Part 2? If they differ in any way try to explain why.
4. Measuring the motion of a bowling or other large ball:
What do you predict will happen to the distance the ball moves as a function of time? Will the ball move at a steady speed, speed up, or slow down after it leaves the bowler's hand? Why?
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Time:
2-m Distance
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Time:
4-m Distance
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Time:
6-m Distance
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Trial 1
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Trial 2
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Trial 3
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Average time:
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Graph your data for the distance your bowling ball traveled as a function of the rolling-time of the ball. This graphing should be done both by hand and on the computer. Don't forget to discuss these in your conclusions.
Compare the shape of the graphs you produced in Section 4 with the sketches shown in the lab manual. Would you say that the distance increases with time, t? Decreases with time? Is it a linear function of t? Is it proportional to t? Explain.
How do the results compare with the prediction you made in Part 4? Were you surprised?
What do you think would happen to the slope, m, of the graph if the ball had been rolled faster? Would it increase? Decrease? Stay the same?
5. How the ball's distance varies with time:
A. Compare the shape of the graphs you produced in Section 4 with the sketches shown above. Would you say that the distance increases with time, t? Decreases with time? Is it a linear function of t? Is it proportional to t? Explain.
B. How do the results compare with the prediction you made in Part 4? Were you surprised?
C. What do you think would happen to the slope, m, of the graph if the ball had been rolled faster? Would it increase? Decrease? Stay the same?