Name _____________________
Class ______________
Date _________
Activity P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
(Motion Sensor)
Concept
DataStudio
ScienceWorkshop (Mac)
ScienceWorkshop (Win)
Linear motion
P04 Motion Graphs.DS
P05 Position, Velocity, Acceleration
P05_POSI.SWS
Equipment Needed
Qty
Optional Equipment
Qty
Motion Sensor II (CI-6742)
String (SE-8050)
1m
Fan Cart (ME-9485)
2.2 m Track System (ME-9452)
What Do You Think?
Thepurposeofthisactivityistostudytherelationshipamongposition,velocity,andacceleration
inlinearmotion.Howdothedistancevs.time,velocityvs.time,andaccelerationvs.timegraphs
forafancartuniformlyaccelerating,fromrest,comparewithoneanother?
TaketimetoanswertheWhatDoYouThink?question(s)intheLabReportsection.
Background
Equationsformotion,givenaconstantacceleration(a),are:
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Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
Student Workbook
012-07000A
Position:
p. 22
1999 PASCO scientific
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Name _____________________
P04
Class ______________
1999 PASCO scientific
Date _________
p. 23
Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
Student Workbook
012-07000A
wherexoandvoaretheinitialpositionandinitialvelocity.Notethatifxoandvoarezero,the
equationisaparabola.
Velocity(1stderivativeofPosition):
st
Notethatthe1 derivativeofpositionistheslopeofthepositionvs.timegraph.Thisequationis
linear.Theslopeofthevelocityvs.timegraphistheconstantacceleration.Theaccelerationcan
alsobewritten:
Acceleration(2ndderivativeofPosition):
SAFETY REMINDERS
Keep hands clear of fan blades.
Do not let the cart run away from the user. Catch the cart before the cart
crashes into the bumper or travels off from the table.
Follow directions for using equipment.
p. 24
1999 PASCO scientific
P04
Name _____________________
Class ______________
Date _________
For You To Do
UseaMotionSensortomeasurethepositionofaFanCartasitmovesawayfromtheMotion
Sensor.UseDataStudioorScienceWorkshoptoplotandanalyzethecartsposition(x),velocity
(v),andacceleration(a).
Prediction: Sketch a prediction of the position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time graphs for the Fan
Carts motion.
PART I: Computer Setup
1.
ConnecttheScienceWorkshopinterfacetothe
computer,turnontheinterface,andturnonthe
computer.
2.
ConnecttheMotionSensorsphoneplugstoDigital
Channels1and2ontheinterface.Plugtheyellow
banded(pulse)plugintoDigitalChannel1andthe
secondplug(echo)intoDigitalChannel2.
3.
Openthedocumenttitledasshown:
DataStudio
ScienceWorkshop (Mac)
ScienceWorkshop (Win)
P04 Motion Graphs.DS
P05 Position, Velocity, Acceleration
P05_POSI.SWS
TheDataStudiodocumenthasaWorkbookdisplay.Readtheinstructionsinthe
Workbook.
TheScienceWorkshopdocumentopenswithaGraphdisplayofPosition(m),Velocity
(m/s),andAcceleration(m/s/s)versusTime(s).
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Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
Student Workbook
012-07000A
PART II: Sensor Calibration and Equipment Setup
YoudonotneedtocalibratetheMotionSensor.
1.
PlacetheMotionSensorandFanCartonaflathorizontalsurface.Makesurethatthereis
nothingtoobstructthesignalgoingfromthefrontoftheMotionSensortotheFanCart,or
thereturningechofromtheFanCartbacktotheMotionSensor.(IfyouhaveaPASCO
DynamicsTrackavailable,youmaywishtouseit.)Thefanshouldbepointedtowardsthe
MotionSensorasshownbelow.
2.
TieastringtotheFanCartsothatyoucanholdtheFanCartbeforereleasingitwithout
interferingwiththeMotionSensor.
PART III: Data Recording
1.
HoldthestringsothattheFanCartremainsstationaryabout40cminfrontoftheMotion
Sensor.Turnthefanonandselectthelowspeedsetting.
MakesurethattheFanCartispullingawayfromtheMotionSensor.
2.
Wheneverythingisready,startrecordingdata.Thenreleasethefancart.
3.
Stopdatarecordingbeforethecartreachestheendofthetrackandbeforethecarthas
traveledthelengthofthespaceavailable,generallylessthantwometersisbest.
Howwelldidyourpredictedgraphsmatchthemotionsensorgeneratedplots?
Analyzing the Data
ClicktheGraphtomakeitactive.Usethebuiltinanalysistoolstofittwoconsecutiveposition
vs.timedatapointstoamathematicalformula.
1.
p. 26
IntheGraphdisplay,clickonthezoombutton(
).Whileholdingdownonthemouse
button,movethecursortodrawarectanglearoundfourorfivepointsinthepositionvs.
timeplot.Thepointswillbehighlighted.ReleasethemousebuttonandtheGraphaxes
1999 PASCO scientific
P04
Name _____________________
Class ______________
Date _________
willrescaletozoominaboutthosepoints.Next,clickandholdthemousebuttonanddrag
themousetohighlighttwoconsecutivepositionvs.timedatapoints.
2.
Selectthecurvefit.
InDataStudio,clicktheFitmenubutton(
InScienceWorkshopclicktheStatisticsbuttontoopentheStatisticsareaontherightside
).SelectLinear.
oftheGraph.IntheStatisticsarea,clicktheStatisticsMenubutton(
Fit,LinearFitfromtheStatisticsMenu.
3.
Locatethecorrespondingvelocityvalueinthevelocityvs.timegraph.
InDataStudio,selectthevelocitywindow.ClicktheSmartToolbutton(
theSmartTooltothevelocitydatapoint.
InScienceWorkshop,clicktheSmartCursor(
velocitydatapoint.
4.
RecordtheslopeandthevelocityvalueintheLabReportSection.
).SelectCurve
)andmove
)andmovetheSmartCursortothe
Atwhatpointintimedidtheaveragevelocityoccur?Howdoesthistimecorrespondtothe
timesfromthetwopointsselectedinthepositionvs.timeplot?RecordyouranswersintheLab
Reportsection.
5.
Clickanywhereinthepositionvs.timeGraphwindowtodeselectthehighlightedpoints.
ClicktheAutoscalebuttontoautomaticallyrescaletheGraphaxestodisplayallofthe
data.Selectapolynomialfittothepositionvs.timeplot.Ifyourinitialdataiserratic,you
mayneedtozoominandselectaregionoftheplotthatissmooth.
RecordthecoefficientsofthefitandanswerthequestionsintheLabReportsection.
6.
Clickanywhereinthevelocityvs.timegraphwindowtodeselectthehighlightedpoints.
ClicktheAutoscalebuttontoautomaticallyrescaletheGraphaxestodisplayallofthe
data.Selectalinearfittothevelocityvs.timeplot.Ifyourinitialdataiserratic,youmay
needtozoominandselectaregionoftheplotthatissmooth.
RecordthecoefficientsofthefitandanswerthequestionsintheLabReportsection.
7.
Clickanywhereintheaccelerationvs.timeGraphwindow.Applyalinearfittothe
accelerationvs.timeplot.
RecordthecoefficientsofthefitandanswerthequestionsintheLabReportsection.
Whyistheaccelerationvs.timeplotsomuchnoisierthantheotherplots?Recordyour
answerintheLabReportsection.
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Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
Student Workbook
012-07000A
Record your results and answer the questions in the Lab Report section.
p. 28
1999 PASCO scientific
P04
Name _____________________
Class ______________
Date _________
Lab Report - Activity P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
What Do You Think?
Thepurposeofthisactivityistostudytherelationshipamongposition,velocity,andacceleration
inlinearmotion.Howdothedistancevs.time,velocityvs.time,andaccelerationvs.timegraphs
forafancartuniformlyaccelerating,fromrest,comparewithoneanother?
Prediction: Sketch a prediction of the position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time graphs for the Fan
Carts motion.
Data Table
Item
Result
Slope of Position vs. Time data
Velocity Value
Polynomial Equation of fit for Position vs. Time
Linear Equation of fit for Velocity vs. Time
Linear Equation of fit for Acceleration vs. Time
Questions
1.
Atwhatpointintimedidtheaveragevelocityoccur?Howdoesthistimecorrespondtothe
timesfromthetwopointsselectedinthepositionvs.timeplot?
2.
Whataretheappropriateunitsfortheslopesofthepositionandvelocityvs.timeplots?
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Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
p. 30
1999 PASCO scientific
Student Workbook
012-07000A
P04
Name _____________________
Class ______________
Date _________
3a.
Howclosedoestheplotofpositionvs.timefitapolynomialcurve?(Hint:InDataStudio,
thecloserMeanSquaredErroristozero,thebetterthefitofdatatothecurve.In
ScienceWorkshop,thecloserchi^2istozero,thebetterthefitofdatatothecurve.)
3b.
Didyourpolynomialfitofthepositionvs.timegraphyieldaninitialposition?Ifyes,what
istheinitialposition?
3c.
Didyourpolynomialfitofthepositionvs.timegraphyieldaninitialspeed?Ifyes,whatis
theinitialspeed?
3d.
Didyourpolynomialfitofthepositionvs.timegraphyieldanacceleration?Ifyes,whatis
theacceleration?
4a.
Howclosedoestheplotofvelocityvs.timefitalinearregression?(Hint:InDataStudio,
thecloserristoone,thebetterthefitofdatatothecurve.InScienceWorkshop,thecloser
chi^2istozero,thebetterthefitofdatatothecurve.)
4b.
Didthelinearfitofvelocityvs.timeyieldaninitialposition?Ifyes,whatistheinitial
position?
4c. Didyourlinearfitofvelocityvs.timeyieldaninitialspeed?Ifyes,whatistheinitial
speed?
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Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
4d.
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012-07000A
Didyourlinearfitofvelocityvs.timeyieldanacceleration?Ifyes,whatisthe
acceleration?
1999 PASCO scientific
P04
Name _____________________
Class ______________
Date _________
5a.
Istheaccelerationintheaccelerationvs.timeGraphconstant?(Remember,anearly
horizontallineoffit(nearzeroslope)indicatesaconstantvalue.)
5b.
Didthelinearfitofaccelerationvs.timeyieldaninitialposition?Ifyes,whatistheinitial
position?
5c.
Didyourlinearfitofaccelerationvs.timeyieldaninitialspeed?Ifyes,whatistheinitial
speed?
5d.
Didyourlinearfitofvelocityvs.timeyieldanacceleration?Ifyes,whatisthe
acceleration?
6.
Whyistheaccelerationvs.timeplotsomuchnoisierthantheotherplots?
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Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1
P04: Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs
p. 34
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Student Workbook
012-07000A
P04
