Projectile Motion Lab Report

Lynch, Mary

Partners: Hicks, Black; Kroeger, Erik; Carper, Mike

Motion: Projectile Motion

TA: Meghna Bhattacharya (Section 4)

February 28, 2017

OBJECTIVE

This object of the experiment was to demonstrate the average distance the ball traveled when shot from the spring gun. The test was used to show how the angle of elevation and initial velocity will affect where the ball is estimated to land. Using data collected on average distance found in part one of the experiment, you were then able to calculate time, when y=0 and yo= the distance from the spring gun to the floor, for part one using the equation Y=Y0+V0yT+1/2at2 (equation 1). Next, by using your average x you could calculate v0 using xavg = v0cosθt= v0 t (equation 2). Then, using the same v0 in part 2 you solve for t using equation 1 and then find xtheo using xtheo=v0cosθt (equation 3). Lastly, measure X, and find the average and then compare xtheo to xavg using | xavg-xtheo/xtheo | x 100 (equation 4).

EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE

In order to produce this experiment, you began by setting up the angles at which the spring gun would launch the metal ball onto the ground to measure its distance. The spring gun was placed, ideally, at table

This is prove through the data as well as the equations used to find the variables. One example of this is once you had found t and vo (equations 1 and 2) you could then calculate the the theoretical xavg without even testing it first. The independent variables were the angles manipulated by the experimenter. Proof that the independent variables were the angles would be the fact that all of the dependent variables, time and xexp, differed between part 1 and part 2 and the only facts that differed in part 1 and 2 were the angles at which the ball was