Question

A student is testing the kinematic equations for uniformly accelerated motion by measuring the time it takes for light weight plastic balls to fall to the floor from a height of 3 m in the lab. The student predicts the time to fall using g as 9.80 m/s2 but finds the measured time to be 35% greater. What is the most likely cause of the large percent error?

Answer 1

The acceleration of the plastic balls is not uniform.

Step-by-step explanation:

A student is testing the kinematic equations for uniformly accelerated motion by measuring the time it takes for light weight plastic balls to fall to the floor from a height of 3 m in the lab. The student predicts the time to fall using g as 9.80 m/s2 but finds the measured time to be 35% greater. What is the most likely cause of the large percent error?

from the kinematic equation

s=ut+
`(1)/(2) *at^(2)`

s=3m

a=9.8m/s^2

t=?

substituting into the equation

3=0*t+0.5*9.8t^2

t^2=.6122

t=0.782secs

if it is found to be 35% greater , then it will be

1.35*0.782

1.056s

the only casue would have been that

the downward acceleration of the ball is not uniform