Introduction
You have probably watched a ball roll off a table and strike the floor. What determines where it will land? Could you predict where it will land? In this experiment, you will roll a ball down a ramp and determine the ball’s velocity with a pair of Photogates. You will use this information and your knowledge of physics to predict where the ball will land when it hits the floor.
Objectives
- Measure the velocity of a ball using two Photogates.
- Apply concepts from two-dimensional kinematics to predict the impact point of a ball in projectile motion.
- Take into account trial-to-trial variations in the velocity measurement when calculating the impact point.
