Final answer:
To measure the velocity of a falling tennis ball, a student needs a stop-watch, a known height, and possibly a video recording device for accuracy. The student should drop the ball, record the time it takes to hit the ground, repeat the process to minimize errors, and average the results to find the velocity using the equation for falling objects.
Step-by-step explanation:
Measuring the Speed of a Falling Tennis Ball
To measure the speed of a falling tennis ball with precision, a student will need the following equipment: a stop-watch or electronic timer, a meterstick or measuring tape, and a video recording device can also be helpful for more accurate measurements. Here are the steps for measurement:
- Measure a known height from where the tennis ball will be dropped. This could be from a height of, for instance, 1.5 meters.
- Have one student ready with the stop-watch at the exact moment the ball is released.
- Release the tennis ball from the measured height and start the timer simultaneously.
- Stop the timer the moment the ball hits the ground.
- Record the time taken for the ball to fall.
- Repeat the measurement several times to minimize any timing errors and determine an average time.
- Calculate the velocity of the tennis ball just before impact using the equation v = g × t, where 'v' is velocity, 'g' is the acceleration due to gravity (9.80 m/s²), and 't' is the time.
- Average the velocities obtained from multiple trials for accuracy.
By following these steps, the student can accurately measure the velocity of the falling tennis ball. Discussing possible sources of error, like reaction time and air resistance, can be beneficial for understanding limitations of the experiment.