Students will use a simple method, employing just a meter stick and stopwatch, to determine the initial velocity of a horizontal projectile. They will then predict the range of the projectile, precisely measure the actual range by using carbon paper, and calculate the percent difference.
Required Equipment
Smooth flexible track, steel ball, wood block, stopwatch, carbon paper, meter stick
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to Dwight "Buzz" Putnam for his assistance in developing this lab. Buzz is a 25 year veteran physics teacher at Whitesboro High School, New York Science Teacher of the Year and Host of the Regents Physics Answers television show on PBS. You can also find him refereeing high school basketball games as well as presenting at the NSTA National Conferences.
Download Teacher Notes and Student Worksheets
Acceleration Track
Conceptual Physics Lab kit. Flexible track approximately two meters in length. A rigid steel track approximately two meters in length. One 1" steel sphere and one Hot Wheels car.
Acceleration Track Kit is specifically for use with the Conceptual Physics Lab Manual and Arbor Lab #1 Galileo's Incline Plane.
Recommended quantity per lab group: 1 The "Wood Block" required for this lab is readily available at your local hardware store. This block needs to have enough mass to stop the steel ball from going off the end of the table. Each lab group would need one wood block.
Recommended quantity per lab group: 1 The "Carbon Paper" required for this lab is no longer available.
