Average Speed of a Falling Ball Experiment
What is the time of motion of the ball?
The pupil carries out an experiment to measure the speed of a dropped ball. The ball falls at a distance of 2m in a time of 0.67s. If the ball continues to fall for three times as long, what will be the new time of motion of the ball?
Answer:
The time of motion of the ball can be calculated using the formula:
t = √(2h / g)
By substituting the values of h = 2m and g = 9.8 m/s², we get:
t = √(2 x 2 / 9.8)
t = 0.64 seconds
The given time of motion of the ball is 0.67 seconds. If the ball continues to fall for three times as long, the new time of motion of the ball will be:
New time of motion = 3 x 0.67 seconds = 2.01 seconds
The pupil's experiment reveals that the time of motion of the ball is initially 0.67 seconds. According to the calculations based on the distance the ball falls and the acceleration due to gravity, the time of motion is found to be 0.64 seconds. If the ball continues to fall for three times as long, the new time of motion of the ball will be 2.01 seconds.
Therefore, the predicted average speed of the ball at this new time will be slightly less than 9 m/s, supporting Jack's statement that the ball will not be falling as fast as Emily predicted.