Experiment 4

Experiment 4: Measuring g with an Air Track

Purpose
(1) To observe motion with negligible friction
(2) To measure the acceleration of gravity g

Apparatus
Air track, glider, metal block, ruler, dial calipers, tape measure, recording tape, masking
tape, paper clip, small mailing envelopes, beam balance.

Theory
An object sliding down an inclined plane experiences a constant acceleration a. If the
friction is negligible, the only applied force is gravity. The acceleration down the surface of the
plane is due to the component of gravity parallel to the surface of the plane. From trigonometry
we find a = g sin Figure 1).

where g is the acceleration of gravity and  is the inclination of the plane relative to the surface of
the earth.
In this experiment gliders slide down an air track. The gliders are moving on a stream of
air which allows them to move with negligible friction. Since there is no friction, we can use the
above formula. You will elevate the track to various angles and find the acceleration of the gliders
at each angle and from that acceleration of gravity.

15
 Experiment 4

Procedure
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HANDLE THE AIR TRACK WIRES WITHOUT
GUIDANCE FROM YOUR INSTRUCTOR. IT IS AT HIGH VOLTAGE
AND YOU COULD GET A PAINFUL SHOCK.
1. Set-Up
a. Check and record the frequency f of your sparker (it should be set to 60 hertz). Measure and
record the mass mglider of your glider to 0.1 g accuracy.
Warning: Always put on the air supply before moving a glider along the track
since the track is easily damaged.
b. Check whether your track is level: Turn on the air supply and place the glider at various points
of the track. Release it gently from rest. It should remain motionless. If it begins to drift, check
with your instructor.

c. Check that your recording system works. Turn off the air supply and attach a 25 cm piece of
recording tape (white side up) near the middle of the track. Make sure the recording wire (a
pliable wire made of lead) is tightly attached to the glider by tightening the screw. Check that the
recording wire tip is less than 1 mm from the recording tape and passes less than 1 mm from the
high voltage wire.
Turn on the air supply and make a test run. Hold your glider at one end of the track with
a wooden stick. Your partner will turn on the sparker. Give your glider a small push. Turn off
the sparker after the glider clears the tape. Check that your tape looks like this:

         

All dots must be clearly visible and evenly spaced. The spacing should be between 0.5 and
1.0 cm. If not readjust your apparatus as discussed above. The spacing can be controlled by the
strength of the push you give the glider. Repeat this trial run, if necessary, in order to learn the
correct push.
SHOW YOUR TAPE TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR BEFORE YOU PROCEED

2. Run #1: Uniform Motion

a. Attach a 100-120 cm long piece of recording tape to the middle of the track. Turn the air
supply on and hold the glider at the left end of the track with the wooden stick. As your partner
starts the sparker, push the glider to the left so that it bounces off the left end and travels to the
right. As soon as it clears the tape, the sparker should be turned off and the glider should be
gently stopped with the wooden stick. If your tape record is good try again. Readjust your
apparatus if necessary. Make one tape for each partner.

16
 Experiment 4

b. Sign your tape and label it Run #1. Then, starting at an arbitrary dot near the beginning of
your tape, circle every sixth dot with a pencil (assuming your sparker has frequency 60 hertz).
The distance between six dots will give you the distances Δxi covered by the glider in Δt = 0.1
sec. (Can you see why the time between the circles is 0.1 sec?) Remember Δt is the time
difference between each circle - not the time itself. This is shown here:

                            

Δx1 Δx 2 Δx3 Δx4 Δx5 Δx6

t1 = 0.1s t 2 = 0.2s t3 = 0.3s t 4 = 0.4s t5 = 0.5s t6 = 0.6s
Δt1 = 0.1s Δt2 = 0.1s Δt 3 = 0.1s Δt 4 = 0.1s Δt5 = 0.1s Δt6 = 0.1s

Make a table similar to the one below. Measure three distances Δxi with your ruler to 0.1 mm
precision and write them in your table.

INTERVAL DISTANCE (cm)

beginning
middle
end
AVERAGE

The glider should be moving at a constant speed so make sure all distances do not differ by more
than 10% from the average before you proceed.

17
 Experiment 4

3. Accelerated Motion

Run #2:
a. While the track is still horizontal, measure and record the distance L between the single
support at one end of the track and the midpoint between the two supports at the other end of the
track.

b. Measure and record the shortest side hs of the metal block with your dial calipers and record it
with an accuracy of 0.001 inch. Raise the track as in Figure 2, resting the single support on the
metal block.

c. Attach a 100-120 cm long piece in the middle of the air track. Check the recording wire
adjustments. With the air supply on, hold the glider near the upper end of the track. Let it go
after your partner starts the sparker. Make sure the tape is of good quality and make one good
tape for each partner. Sign your tape and label it Run #2.

Run #3:
d. Measure the longest side hL of the metal block with your dial calipers to 0.001 inch. Raise the
track resting the single support on the new side. Repeat the measurement as in 3c. Sign this tape
and label it Run #3.

Run #4:
e. Attach a slotted mass of 50 g to the top of the glider with a screw and record the new mass.
Repeat the measurement as in 3c. Sign this tape and label it Run #4.

4. Before You Leave the Lab

Ask your instructor to initial your data sheet and each tape.

18
 Experiment 4

Lab Report
Remember to include all data sheets and tapes in your lab report..

Uniform Motion
1. Copy the Uniform Motion table. Measure all values of Δxi in Run #1 and write them in the
table. Do we expect the Δxi to be the same or different? Calculate the average value of the Δxi,
(2) their deviations, (3) the average deviation.

UNIFORM MOTION
INTERVAL DISTANCE (cm) DEVIATION
Δx1
Δx2
Δx3
..... etc
AVERAGE

Accelerated Motion
For each run #2 ,#3 and #4:
2. Make a table like the one below. Measure at least ten sequential values of Δxi and write them
in the table. Do we expect the Δxi to be the same or different? Calculate the speed in each
interval . Remember Δt = 0.1 sec for all intervals. (See the sample calculations are on the last
page of this lab.)

INTERVAL TIME (sec) DISTANCE (cm) v = Δx/Δt (cm/sec)

Δx1 0.1
Δx2 0.2
Δx3 0.3
..... etc
Δx10 1.0

19
 Experiment 4

3. Plot velocity vs time for each run on graph paper using a ruler:

Draw the line of best fit and calculate its slope. Remember that the line of best fit represents an
average of the data and goes as close as possible to as many points as possible. DO NOT
“CONNECT THE DOTS”. DO NOT SIMPLY CONNECT THE FIRST AND LAST POINTS.
Ask for help if you need it. The slope is Δv/Δt which is the acceleration a of the glider. What are
its units? Do we expect the acceleration to be the same or different for Runs #2, #3 and #4?

Calculation of g
4. Copy this chart:

EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF g
Run # a sin  g
2
3
4

Average

Write down the acceleration a for Runs #2, #3 and #4 from the slopes of your graphs.
sin = hs/L or hL/L of the raised track, depending on the run. (Calculate sin to three significant
digits.) Calculate your experimental value of g for each run using the equation
a = g sin .

5. Find the best value of g by averaging over these three runs. Calculate the percent discrepancy
between your average measured value and the accepted value g = 980.7 cm/sec.

20
 Experiment 4

Sample Calculation for a Few Data Points

h = 3.991 in  2.54 cm/in = 10.14 cm (use your own measurements)
L = 239.63 cm
sin  = 10.14 cm / 239.63 cm = 0.0423 (keep to three or four significant digits)
Δt = 0.1 sec

INTERVAL TIME (sec) DISTANCE (cm) v = Δx/Δt (cm/sec)

Δx1 0.1 6.91 69.1
Δx2 0.2 7.42 74.2
Δx3 0.3 7.84 78.4
Δx4 0.4 8.20 82.0
Δx5 0.5 8.67 86.7

From a graph of v vs t we find slope = acceleration = 43.0 cm/s2

g = a / sin  = 43.0 cm/s2 / .0423 = 1016 cm/s2
% discrepancy = | 980 cm/s2 - 1016 cm/s2 |  100% = 3.68%
980 cm/s2

21