IB Physics SL 2 Leo Tran 1/17/12 W2 Mr.

Chorman Design Lab Investigating the factors related to the crater formed by a falling object. Research The aim of the experiment is to investigate the relationship between the height from which a ball is being dropped on sand and the diameter of the crater it formed from its impact on the sand. This will be done by dropping the ball from fixed heights and then measuring the diameter of the crater formed for each height using an accurate meter scale. If the drop height of the ball is increased then the diameter of the crater will also increase. As the drop height is increased, the potential energy of the ball will also increase since PE = mass * g * height. As a result, the force of impact of the ball on the surface will increase because all the potential energy will be changed into kinetic energy (velocity) of the ball just before its impact on the sand. This increase in the force of impact will move more sand sideways and downwards resulting in the formation of a bigger bowl shaped crater, hence the increase in diameter. Variables The independent variable is the drop height of the ball. The dependent variable is the diameter of the crater formed by the impact of the ball on the sand. The controlled variables include the same snooker ball, same type of sand, and keeping the sand parallel to the ground level.

Apparatus A snooker ball A meter scale A box Sand

Method Measure the height from which you drop the ball (distance between the bottom of the ball and the surface level of the sand) and measure the diameter of the crater formed after carefully removing the ball from the crater in the sand using an accurate meter scale. The drop of the ball will be controlled by dropping the ball using the same technique for each trial. Repeat each measurement at least three times and calculate the average. After every three trials increase the height by a fixed length. In this case, increase the height by 10 centimeters. Use five different drop heights to make the relationship more clear: 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm and 50 cm. The type of surface will be controlled by using the same sand for all the different drop heights and by keeping the surface of the sand parallel to the ground. The type of ball will be controlled by using the same snooker ball throughout the experiment.

Data Table DROP HEIGHT(cm) 0.5 10 20 30 40 50 DIAMETER OF THE CRATER (cm) 4 6 7 7 9 DIAMETER OF THE CRATER (cm) 5 6 7 8 7 DIAMETER OF THE CRATER (cm) 4 5 6 7 9 MEAN DIAMETER OF THE CRATER (cm) 1.3 cm 4.3 5.7 6.7 7.7 8.3

Uncertainty Since the residual for each mean value of the diameter of the crater is greater than the uncertainty of the meter stick (which is 0.5 cm), we use the greatest residual (which is 1.3 cm in this case) as the uncertainty value for each mean value of the bounce height.

Graph of the Data

Data for Graphing the Line of Best Fit

Drop Height (cm) 10 20 30 40 50

Diameter Of The Crater (cm) 1.3 cm 4.3 5.7 6.7 7.7 8.3

The gradient of the graph is 0.100cm/cm. The graph is linear and proportional and all the data points lie on the best straight line (as constructed by the computer).

Next, I calculate the uncertainty in the graphing results.

The maximum gradient is 0.165 cm/cm and the minimum gradient is 0.035 cm/cm. Again, the best-straight line gradient is 0.100 cm/cm. The gradient and its uncertainty are thus 0.100 (0.165 0.035)/2 = 0.100 0.065 cm/cm. So, gradient or slope and its uncertainty = 0.10 0.07 cm*cm-1