In this lab, Galileo's "Inclined Plane" experiment was duplicated to prove that by setting up a simple lab with a ramp, a metal ball, and a stopwatch that the distance an object travels is proportional to the time squared. A relationship similar to Galielo's was proved in this experiment.
So, a pretty long time ago a guy you may have heard of before, Galileo, tested the laws of physics and acceleration, things that previous physicists and philosophers alike failed to consider during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, even Aristotle hadn't heavily considered acceleration in his theory on motion.
Using materials that would, especially by today's standards, be considered elementary Galileo revolutionized the debate on motion and acceleration. By using a simple board with a grove down the middle and a small metal ball, Galileo was able to "dilute" gravity and have the ball roll down the ramp slowly.
What Galileo realized is that the distance it takes an object to fall is proportional to time squared. In our lab assignment, we were asked to recreate Galileo's experiment to prove this law. Without further instruction, we set out in our groups and set up different ways to collect the most accurate data. The materials we used were:
- an aluminum channel
- a steel ball
- a stopwatch
- meter stick
- several books (to incline the channel and form a ramp)
Our group (Robert, Abby, and myself) created a set up by stacking textbooks on top of one another and recorded the time it took for the ball to roll down the ramp at 10 cm increments.
PROCEDURE:
- Stack textbooks and/or reams of paper and place the aluminum channel on top to create a slightly inclined ramp, angle does not matter.
- Mark off 10 cm increments on the ramp, starting from the bottom of the ramp and working your way to the top of the channel.
- Place ball on the 10 cm mark
- Release the ball
- Record with a stopwatch how long it takes for the ball to hit the table (repeat this step about 3 times to get a precise and accurate measure of the time)
- Repeat until you've reached the last mark (for us it was 80 cm) and have accurately timed each drop
Our data came out to look like this:
Click on the image above to expand
What we found is when you square the time it takes for the ball to roll down the ramp you get a linear correlation to the distance the ball traveled, just like Galileo said we would! Well, not directly, but through his equation:
Distance ∝ Time²
Click on the video below to watch a clip of how the marble roll works:
Look how artsy this is:
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
"Inclined Plane Experiment." The Galileo Project. Rice University, 12 Apr. 1995. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. http://galileo.rice.edu/lib/student_work/experiment95/inclined_plane.html.
Wright, Richard. Wright AP Physics: Galileo's Lab. 2011. Print.
