Quantifying the Motion of Objects: Guided Inquiry Lab

Due: September 19th, 2014

What We Need to Know Prior to Our Lab:

• Acceleration - the rate at which an object changes its velocity
• Displacement - the distance in a specific direction between the object and its original position
• Velocity - the rate of change of the position of an object
• Speed - distance/time

The distance, time, and speed of an object can be measured. The tools necessary to satisfy the essential questions of this lab are a meter stick for distance,  a stop watch for time, and the formula for speed, which is distance/time.

The primary purpose of this lab is to analyze and discuss the acceleration, displacement, velocity and speed of an object. By doing this, we can apply and describe the motion of objects and compare to others. We will be using the green wind-up car (left) and the battery-powered, blue Tumble Buggy (right) to accomplish this goal. 

Procedure:

For this lab, we used meters for distance, seconds for time, and the formula distance/time for speed. To reduce error, we stayed consistent with these units throughout the entirety of the lab. 

1. First, we began with the green wind-up car.
2. We set up a track that was 301 centimeters in length.
3. We divided the track into three intervals that the cars would reach: 100 cm, 200 cm, and 301 cm.
4. At each interval, we placed a piece of tape to indicate where it was located.
5. We started the green wind-up car at the end of the track and winded it up all the way towards the beginning of the track.
6. Once the car was released, a group member would use a stop watch to record the time at which the car reached interval one, interval two, and interval three.
7. Step 6 was repeated five times in five separate trials and then results were averaged to reduce error in timing.
8. Second was the blue Tumble Buggy.
9. Using the same track and intervals as we did with the green wind-up car, we began the blue Tumble Buggy at the beginning of the track. 
10. Once the car was started via the power switch, a group member use a stop watch to record the time at which the car reached interval one, interval two, and interval three.
11. Similarly to Step 6, the process was repeated five times and results were averaged to avoid error in timing. 
12. All data was recorded in data piece #3.  
13. All the data from data piece #3 was graphed using Logger Pro. The graph for the green wind-up car has a quadratic curve. The graph for the blue Tumble Buggy has a linear fit. 

Data and Graphs

Data Piece #1

Green Wind Up Car

Data Piece #2

Tumble Buggy

Data Piece #3

The green rows of the table are for the green wind-up car. 

The blue rows of the table are for the blue Tumble Buggy. 

Data and Graph Analysis

The data table above, or data piece #3, is the data recorded during the ten trials (five trials for each car). The total distance of the track is 301 cm, as indicated on the data table. In columns, "Time 1" indicates the total time elapsed from the beginning to interval one. "Time 2" indicates the time elapsed from interval one to interval two. "Time 3" indicates the time elapsed from interval one to interval two.

Data piece #1 represents the averaged results from the green wind-up car. The graph, with a quadratic curves, indicates the green wind-up car slowed down as it traveled the 301 cm track, specifically around the 200 cm interval.

Data piece #2 represents the averaged results from the blue Tumble Buggy. The graph, with a liner fit, indicates the blue Tumble Buggy traveled at a constant rate. Factors that would have affected these results would have been the energy of the battery in the blue Tumble Buggy.


Essential Questions/Takeaways/Error Analysis

1. Velocity is the rate of change of the position of an object and acceleration, in relation, is the rate at which an object changes its velocity. Displacement, the distance in a specific direction between the object and its original position, is the change in position discussed in velocity and acceleration.

2. For a displacement versus time graph with an object whose motion does not move, the graph will indicate the elapse of time but no indication of movement, appearing as a straight line. For an object whose motion does changed, the graph will indicate the elapse of time and distance traveled.

3. A velocity versus time graph for an object that does not move will indicate an elapse in time but no change in distance, forming a straight line. For an object that does move at a constant velocity, there will be an equal rate of distance/time covered.

4. For an acceleration versus time graph, an object that has no motion will indicate an elapse of time, but no distance covered. For an object that has motion, a steady increase or decrease of speed will be indicated on the graph by a quadratic curve.

5. The slope of the graph with a distance (x) and time (y) deals with a linear fit and will indicate the approximate rate of speed an object traveled at (distance/time). By finding this, the average velocity can be measured.

6. If towing or dragging another object, either for the green wind-up car or blue Tumble Buggy, the graph would change. The heavier an object is, the more energy it requires to move. If the energy of the two cars remained the same and weight was added, the graphs of both would indicate the same amount of distance traveled but would also indicate the movement took longer than without the added weight.