projectile3Projectiles: Horizontal launch and height
Project #2628 on iSENSEProject.org
PROJECTILES LAB III: Exploring the relationship between height and horizontal displacement of a projectile launched horizontally.
QUESTION:
How does the height of a projectile launched horizontally affect the horizontal distance the projectile travels?
THE LAB:
During this lab, you will collect data that will help you to determine whether there is any relationship between the height of launch and the horizontal distance a projectile travels..
To explore the question, you will need:
1 marble launcher with adjustable angle muzzle and protractor
1 ball bearing
Masking tape
1 table
1 Bee-spiv motion sensor
2 meter sticks
Goggles for each member of each lab group
Directions:
SAFETY: Goggles MUST be worn at all times. Anyone not wearing goggles will receive no credit for the lab. NEVER point the launcher, loaded or un-loaded, towards anyone, towards a window, or towards yourself. Keep your mouths shut--a flying or bouncing ball bearing against a tooth equals a broken tooth and lots of fun at the dentist's office. Do not pull the spring beyond the second notch until you are told to do so.
Procedure:
Assemble the launcher. Place the launcher on the floor, and point it to a place in the room where the ball bearings can travel down a row between tables. Measure the height of the muzzle of the launcher above the floor (26 cm).
Set the launcher to 0 degrees (horizontal). If the ball falls out, then set the angle to 1 to 2 degrees--whatever it takes to keep the ball from falling out.
Place a ball bearing in the muzzle.
Cock the launcher to the first notch--the one that gives the least tension on the spring.
Wearing goggles at all times, fire the ball bearing across the floor and place a piece of masking tape where the ball-bearing lands. ALSO, measure the speed of the ball each time it comes out of the launcher. Get 10 measurements for one notch. Measure the horizontal distance from the muzzle of the launcher to the pieces of masking tape and record.
Now get 10 measurements for 2 notches, and then 3 notches, following the same procedure.
DIVISION OF LABOR: One group member runs the gun. A second group member watches where the ball bearings land and marks the spot of each impact with masking tape, stopping the ball and returning it to the gunman. A third group member holds the Bee-spiv motion sensor at the end of the muzzle, capturing the speed of each ball as it emerges and recording the results. When all shots for a given angle have been fired, the gun operator measures with the meter stick; the 'fielder' records the data on the data sheet, and the spotter and tape person removes each piece of tape once the measure has been made and recorded.
Repeat procedure for a height of 1.04 meters by placing the launcher on a lab table or a chair placed atop a lab table.
Record all values on the data sheet and take the average of the 10 shots for each notch setting and height.
When done, enter your data manually to iSENSE when instructed.
Visualize with angle on the horizontal axis and see if you can determine a pattern. Be prepared to discuss the results when you can see how other groups did for data.
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# of notches on gun |
Trial1 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial2 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial3 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial4 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial5 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial6 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial7 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial8 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial9 (cm) (m/s) |
Trial10 (cm) (m/s) |
Average (cm) (m/s) |
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Height = ___m.
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1 notch |
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2 notch |
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3 notch |
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Height = ___m. |
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1 notch |
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2 notch |
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3 notch |
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Questions:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1) <!--[endif]--> As you go from 1 notch to 3 notches, what happens to how far the balls go? Is there any pattern or relationship?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2) <!--[endif]-->Is there any pattern to the number of notches and the initial speed of the ball?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3) <!--[endif]-->When you go up from the low height to the high height, what happens to how far the balls go? Is there any pattern or relationship?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4) <!--[endif]-->Can you account for the relationship between distance and height?
Were there any difficulties with obtaining or making sense of the data? Consider the consistency of how hard the gun fired, seeing where the ball bearings landed, and making the measurements with the meter sticks.
Do you have a hypothesis to suggest? If you had the time, how would you test the hypothesis and why?
| Name | Units | Type of Data |
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Height
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cm
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Number
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horizontal distance
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cm
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Number
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| Height | horizontal distance |