Gravity Lab

What a Drag! : Lab Report

Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to demonstrate that air resistance affects the velocity of a falling object and when it hits the ground.

Hypothesis: I hypothesize that the plain piece of paper will fall slower than the crumpled paper, coin, and book due to air resistance.

Observations:

Part I 1st Observation - The air resistance made the coin drop a lot faster than the paper because it is less air resistant.

Part I 2nd Observation - The coin and crumpled paper dropped and hit the floor at the same time.

Part II 1st Observation - The book fell faster than the paper.

Part II 2nd Observation - The paper and the book fell at the same time.

Part II 3rd Observation - They fell at the same time.

Part III -

Trials

Time(Seconds) Height(Meters)

Trial 1 .8 Seconds 1 Meter

Trail 2 .6 Seconds 1 Meter

Trial 3 .89 Seconds 1 Meter

Calculations: d = do+vot+1/2at2 or g = d-do-vot/2t2

Trial 1: 1 = 0 + 0(.8) + 1/2a (.8)2 Trail 2: 1 = 0 + 0(.6) + 1/2a (.6)2 Trial 3: 1 = 0 + 0(.89) + 1/2a (.89)2

1 = (1/2) (.64a) = (1/2) (.36a) = (1/2) (.7921a)

a = 3.125m/s2 a = 5.5556 m/s2 a = 2.525 m/s2

a = g

Results/Questions:

1. The crumpled paper and the coin both hit the ground at the same time.

2. The crumpled paper and the ball would