A vertical throw: Observational Experiment

Aim

Find out whether the object thrown upward moves with constant speed, changing speed, constant acceleration, or changing acceleration

Prior Knowledge

  • Graphing skills (advanced analysis only).
  • Reference frames.
  • Kinematical knowledge: position, velocity and acceleration.

Description of the Experiment

A ball is thrown up and caught. Collect position-versu-time data and represent it in a table.

  • Use the table to draw a motion diagram for the whole flight.
  • Draw graphs of position vs time and velocity vs time for the whole flight.
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Questions

Use any of the graphs to answer the following questions:

  1. Is the acceleration of the ball on the way up constant or changing? If it is constant, what is its magnitude?
  2. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the ball at the top of the flight?
  3. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the ball on the way down?
  4. What can you say about the magnitude of the acceleration of the ball throughout the flight? How does this magnitude compare to the magnitude of the acceleration you found in the previous experiment?