LAB 4 - Modeling the Fall of an Object with Air Resistance
Tony Wu, Leslie Zhao, Isaiah Hernandez
September 12, 2016
Experimental Procedure: We used Logger Pro to capture a video of each stack of coffee filters falling from the balcony. Logger Pro allows us to track the speed of the coffee filters during its entire descent. Each coffee filter has a mass of 134.2 g ± 0.1 g.
Data and Calculations: Below is the data for the free falls of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 coffee filters respectively
The graphs show Time vs. Position. The slope of each graph is the approximate terminal velocity.
Free fall of 1 Coffee Filter
Free fall of 2 Coffee Filters
Free fall of 3 Coffee Filters
Free fall of 4 Coffee Filters
Free fall of 5 Coffee Filters
We can derive the values for k and n by taking the natural log of both sides of F = kvn equation, creating a y-intercept form line equation. lnF=nlnv+lnk
The slope of this equation will give us the value for n and the y intercept islnk.
Below is the data shown from using Excel to estimate the terminal velocities.
Notice that the change in velocity rapidly approaches zero, signifying that the falling
coffee filters hit terminal velocity!
Conclusions: In conclusion, this lab was a very good to free fall and terminal velocities. Both Excel and Logger Pro are great tools to model and calculate the values for each free fall. It is interesting to note that the coffee filters very rapidly approach terminal friction.
Lab Goal: To determine the relationship between air resistance force and speed.
Theory/Introduction: In this lab we investigate the expectation that there is an air resistance force on a particular object that depends on the object's shape, speed, and material it is moving through. We can model this expectation as a power law:
Fresistance=kvn
The k term takes into account the shape and area of the object. The variable n is a power constant.
Note that the force of resistance increases with time because the falling object speeds up over time. We will find the terminal velocity of the falling objects. The terminal velocity is the constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium through which it is falling prevents further acceleration.
Apparatus: In this lab, we used coffee filters as our falling object. In order to avoid outdoor winds, we dropped 1 to 5 stacked coffee filters from a balcony. We taped a meter stick to a black sheet as a background to track the coffee filters as they fell. The meter stick is used as a reference to approximate the distance that the coffee filters fall per second.
Theory/Introduction: In this lab we investigate the expectation that there is an air resistance force on a particular object that depends on the object's shape, speed, and material it is moving through. We can model this expectation as a power law:
Fresistance=kvn
The k term takes into account the shape and area of the object. The variable n is a power constant.
Note that the force of resistance increases with time because the falling object speeds up over time. We will find the terminal velocity of the falling objects. The terminal velocity is the constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium through which it is falling prevents further acceleration.
Apparatus: In this lab, we used coffee filters as our falling object. In order to avoid outdoor winds, we dropped 1 to 5 stacked coffee filters from a balcony. We taped a meter stick to a black sheet as a background to track the coffee filters as they fell. The meter stick is used as a reference to approximate the distance that the coffee filters fall per second.
Experimental Procedure: We used Logger Pro to capture a video of each stack of coffee filters falling from the balcony. Logger Pro allows us to track the speed of the coffee filters during its entire descent. Each coffee filter has a mass of 134.2 g ± 0.1 g.
Data and Calculations: Below is the data for the free falls of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 coffee filters respectively
The graphs show Time vs. Position. The slope of each graph is the approximate terminal velocity.
Free fall of 1 Coffee Filter
Free fall of 2 Coffee Filters
Free fall of 3 Coffee Filters
Free fall of 4 Coffee Filters
Free fall of 5 Coffee Filters
We can derive the values for k and n by taking the natural log of both sides of F = kvn equation, creating a y-intercept form line equation. lnF=nlnv+lnk
The slope of this equation will give us the value for n and the y intercept islnk.
Below is the data shown from using Excel to estimate the terminal velocities.
Notice that the change in velocity rapidly approaches zero, signifying that the falling
coffee filters hit terminal velocity!
Conclusions: In conclusion, this lab was a very good to free fall and terminal velocities. Both Excel and Logger Pro are great tools to model and calculate the values for each free fall. It is interesting to note that the coffee filters very rapidly approach terminal friction.
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