Lab 1: Measuring Speed from Photogate Data

Adjust the level of your track with index cards until your photogate timing data suggests the cart moves with constant speed. How close to constant speed can you get it?

Practice launching the cart so that you get a fairly reliable launch speed on repeated launches.

Collect data and use it to determine the speed of the cart for at least two different trials.

Must Haves in Your Lab Write up: Lab Title, Your Name Pictorial Representation (labeled with motion diagram) Data Table, indicating the position and time reading for entering and exiting each photogate Calculations for Velocity through each gate for two trials (with units)

Lab 1: Lab Must Haves I. Lab Title, Your Name II. Labeled Sketch of Experimental Setup III. Motion diagram IV. Organized record of data collected (data table) V. Calculations for Velocity (with units) (write the equation used, plug in numbers, calculate) VI. Speed (with units) (write the equation used, plug in numbers, calculate) VII. Lab Questions answered with complete sentences

Lab 1: Lab Questions 1. Refer to your timing data. How can you tell from your timing data alone that the cart moved with approximately constant speed between the photogates? Explain.

2. What distance did your group use to calculate the speed of the cart through each photogate? Explain what this distance refers to.

3. What is the measured speed of the cart (i) in the first photogate, (ii) in the second photogate?

4. What is the measured velocity of the cart (i) in the first photogate, (ii) in the second photogate?

5. Considering uncertainties in your measurements, is the cart moving with constant velocity between the photogates?