9/26 Physics update and homework due 10/3

Hi folks,

Today we spent quite a bit of time on a lab in the effort to try to better understand acceleration. We will be spending quite a bit more time on acceleration in the coming weeks as it is key to much of Newton's Laws.

No recording this week since most of the time was spent with lab work.

Homework for this week is:

Make 3 graphs. Distance vs. Time, Velocity vs. Time and Acceleration vs. time
On each graph plot the points for the small slop and the big slope. So, in other words, each graph should have 2 lines on it.

Using those graphs answer the following questions.

1. At what point on either ramp did the ball have the highest speed?
2. What would you estimate the speed of the ball to be if the big slope ramp was long enough to allow the ball to travel for one more second.
3. What was the average speed of the ball for the big slope ramp? How about the small slope ramp?
4. For both slopes, when was acceleration greatest or was it constant?
5. If it wasn't constant….why not?
6. What was the average acceleration of the ball for the entire ramp?
7. What would the acceleration be if the big slope ramp was long enough to allow the ball to travel for one more second. (Estimate this using your graph.)