Your Name (Print): ______________________________ Date: __

Group Members: ______________________________ Lab Time: _

______________________________

Ball Drop

In this activity you will determine a numerical value for the magnitude of the acceleration due to
gravity and explore the relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration for a freely falling object.

A ball is dropped from rest a distance yi above the floor. The ball hits the Release point
floor and bounces back up. The origin of the coordinate system (y = 0) is the
floor and the positive y direction points upward.
viy = 0 ; yi

+y

FLOOR y=0
PREDICT
Think about the motion you expect to occur in this experiment. Specifically, what will the
acceleration-time, velocity-time, and position-time graphs look like? Discuss these predictions with your
group members. Carefully sketch your predictions for the vertical acceleration (ay), vertical velocity
(vy), and vertical position (y) of the ball as functions of time on the grids located on the RESULTS page
of this Activity. The time axes are identical. Include a time interval long enough to include three bounces
from the floor.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
A motion detector is used to measure the position of the ball as a function of time. The motion
detector emits short bursts of ultrasonic sound pulses and measures the time for a reflected pulse to
return to the detector. The detector then uses a programmed value for the speed of sound in air to
convert this time interval to a distance between the detector and the nearest object.
A long rod is attached to a table and a
Detector
Motion

short rod at the top using a 90o clamp;

with the motion detector secured to the
end of the short rod (away from the
table edge) with the sensor pointing
down. The motion sensor is then
15o - 20o

connected to a Dig/Sonic 1 on a Vernier

LabPro interface.
With the sensor facing the floor and
nothing within its “line of sight”, the
sensor is zeroed; this defines the floor
level as y = 0. During the zeroing
Ultrasound

process, a short series of clicking sounds

can be heard – this is the sensor
emitting the ultrasonic pulses.
 Using both hands, a small soccer ball is held from its sides an appropriate distance below the motion
detector. On the computer in the Logger Pro software, Collect is pressed, and data starts to display in
the graph window. The ball is then released. The experiment is repeated until the ball drops straight
down and bounces multiple times in the vertical direction. In other words, it takes a few trials before the
data collection is optimized!
Watch the provided video so that you have a visual representation of the experimental procedure.

ANALYZE - Qualitative

Locate and Copy the Ball Drop Fall 2020.cmbl experiment file to your computer double Click on it to
start. The computer should recognize the .cmbl extension as a Logger Pro file; if not, simply choose
Logger Pro from the Open with box.
On each graph, locate regions where
a) the ball is in contact with the ground.
b) the ball is moving vertically up.
c) the ball is moving vertically down.
On the “Ball Drop Results” page (located at end of this Activity), compare the measured graphs in this
experiment file with your predicted graphs. Describe how they are similar and how they are
different. Explain any discrepancies with your predicted graphs.

ANALYZE - Quantitative
A. Acceleration-Time Graph
• Select (drag across) a region of the Acceleration-Time graph when the ball is in free fall (between
two successive bounces the ACCELERATION IS CONSTANT).
ONLY ANALYZE THE PORTION OF THE CURVE WHERE THE ACCELERATION IS CONSTANT. DO NOT
SELECT THE ENTIRE GRAPH! It is also wise to use the longest length of free fall motion possible.
However, avoid using points in time directly before the ball appears to contact the ground or
appears to have just left the ground. Such points are likely to increase the uncertainty in the
analysis you are about to perform.
• Select Analyze->Statistics and record both the mean and the standard deviation in the mean
on the Ball Drop Results page (section A).
Your instructor may require you to show the region you have chosen before moving on.

B. Velocity-Time Graph (linear fit: v = mt + b)

i) Select (drag across) a region of the Velocity-Time graph when the ball is in free fall (between two
successive bounces) THAT CORRESPONDS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE SAME REGION YOU
USED FOR ANALYZING THE ACCELERATION-TIME GRAPH.
Perform a Linear Fit. Record the slope, the vertical intercept, and their uncertainties on the
“Ball Drop Results” page (section B i).
Depending on the configuration defined in the experiment file, Logger Pro may return the
coefficients of any fit in terms of arbitrary coordinates “x” and “y”. You must convert these to the
actual variables defined in the particular experiment. Furthermore, the fitting constants are usually
returned with too high a precision (number of decimal places). You must record the fitting constants
 with the correct number of significant figures. For example, suppose Logger Pro returns the
following coefficients for the Velocity-Time graph

Linear Fit For: Latest │ Velocity

y = mt+b
m (Slope) = -9.63358 +/- 0.01986 m/s/s
b (Y-intercept) = 12.81573 +/- 0.02688 m/s
Correlation: -0.99989
RMSE: 0.00658

The uncertainty in the slope is rounded to one significant figure (from 0.01986 to 0.02). Then
the value of the slope is written with the same precision as its uncertainty (the second decimal place
in this example). Thus, the value of the slope is written as
m (slope) = (-9.63 + 0.02) m/s2.
Once done, do NOT close the window with the curve fitting parameters.
ii) Using Analyze->Examine, determine the Velocity-Time coordinates for two points on the linear
portion of the graph by placing the cursor on the linear portion of the graph and recording the
coordinates displayed. The two points must correspond to data in the range you selected above.
Use the two data points to calculate the slope of the Velocity-Time graph. Record the data
points and show the calculation on the “Ball Drop Results” page (section B ii). Once done, do
NOT close the window with the curve fitting parameters.

C. Position-Time Graph (quadratic fit: y = A t2 + B t + C)

Select (drag across) a region of the Position-Time graph when the ball is in free fall THAT
CORRESPONDS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE SAME REGION YOU USED FOR ANALYZING THE
ACCELERATION-TIME AND VELOCITY-TIME GRAPHS. Perform a Curve Fit->quadratic. Record the
relevant curve fitting parameters A, B, and C, including uncertainties, on the “Ball Drop Results”
page (section C). Once done, do NOT close the window with the curve fitting parameters.
Use Print Graph or take a screen shot to create a high quality image of the Logger Pro graphs that
include the curve fit parameters for all three graphs.
• Include the full names of all group members at the bottom of the graph.
• Print in Landscape mode so that the values for your curve fit results are legible.

Submit the following to the instructor in a SINGLE PDF file:

- The Ball Drop Results, including the predicted graphs.
- The Logger Pro graphs with all curve fit parameters visible.
Your Name (Print): ______________________________
Group Members: ______________________________ Group #: _
______________________________

Ball Drop Results

PREDICTED GRAPHS FOR VERTICAL ACCELERATION (ay),

VERTICAL VELOCITY (vy), and POSITION (y).
The time axes are identical.
Acceleration

Time
Velocity

Time
Position

Time
ANALYZE - Qualitative
Compare your measured graphs with your predicted graphs. Describe how they are similar and how
they are different. Explain any discrepancies in your predicted graphs.

ANALYZE - Quantitative
A. Acceleration-Time Graph
Record the acceleration and its uncertainty (use the standard deviation as the uncertainty). Use the
correct number of significant figures and correct units. Write the result in “proper form”.

B. Velocity-Time Graph (linear fit: v = m t + b).

• Record the slope and its uncertainty exactly as it appears in the parameter box:
Slope (m) =
Now write the slope and its uncertainty in “proper form” (uncertainty, correct number of significant
figures and correct units):
Slope (m) =

• Record the vertical intercept and its uncertainty exactly as it appears in the parameter box:
Vertical intercept (b) =
Now write the vertical intercept and its uncertainty in “proper form” (uncertainty, correct number
of significant figures and correct units):
Vertical intercept (b) =

i) Using the fitting parameters from the Velocity-Time graph, write the acceleration of the ball
(and its uncertainty) while it is in free fall in proper form.

ii) Use Analyze->Examine to determine the coordinates of two points on the Velocity-Time graph
during which the ball is in free fall (between successive bounces). Use these coordinates to
calculate the acceleration of the ball while it is in free fall. Record the data points and show the
calculation below. Is the value reasonable compared to the value you found in part Bi) above?
C. Position-Time Graph (quadratic fit: y = At2 + Bt + C).
Write the coefficients and their uncertainty exactly as they appear in the parameter box:
Coefficient “A” =
Coefficient “B” =
Coefficient “C” =

Now write the coefficients in “proper form” (uncertainty, correct number of significant figures and
correct units)
Coefficient “A” =
Coefficient “B” =
Coefficient “C” =

i) Using the curve fitting parameters from the Position-Time graph, calculate the acceleration of the
ball (and its uncertainty) while it is in free fall. Write the result in “proper form”.

D. i) Compare the three values of the acceleration that you determined in parts A, Bi, and Ci. Are
they equal within experimental uncertainty (1 or 2 sigma)? If not, why not?
You must justify your answer by explicitly writing the range of values for each acceleration as
defined by their uncertainties.

ii) Are the measured accelerations equal to the gravitational acceleration g = 9.81 m/s2 within
experimental uncertainty? If not, why not?