notes for straighterline physics labs.pdf - Lab 1:...

Lab 1: Measurement & Uncertainty
- Uncertainty- helps account for possible errors in the results uncertainty should be
hypothesized.
- Half least count rule- the least count is the smalled gradation on a measuring device. (i.e
1 mm on a ruler)
- Vernier caliper- a useful tool for measuring length with higher precision
- Rulers or measuring tapes cannot record diameter (or dimensions like it)
- A caliper works by using two scales,
- the first is fixed and referred to as the major scale.
- The smaller scale, or minor scale, is then used to provide a higher degree of
accuracy beyond half least count
- Look at the minor scale until one of the tick marks matches up exactly with a tick
mark on the major scale
- Lower tick mark + (# least ct. Spaces * least ct. incr.) = measurement
- Systematic error- occurs when the experiment set-up causes results to skew consistently
higher or lower than expected, and affects measurement accuracy
- Random error- attributable to factors like human reaction time and other stochastic
processes and affects measurement precision.
- Replicable- an experiment much be replicable to lead to valid theories. AKA the
procedure must always be diligently recorded, adn the experiment must provide
accurate, precise results over multiple trials
- Precise results- demonstrate what you expected to happen
Lab 2: Kinematics
- 1-D kinematics- mathematically describes the motion of objects traveling in one
dimension
- Objects that move in straight lines include those that move horizontally or
vertically with constant acceleration.
- In physics a quantity can be a scalar or a vector
- A scalar quantity includes only magnitude: one numerical value
- The distance an object hs traveled and its speed are scalar quantities
- Vector quantities include both magnitude and direction
- An object’s displacement from its initial position, velocity, and acceleration
are vector quantities.
- The direction of a vector can be described as positive, negative, north,
south, east, west, left, right, up, down, etc.
- Used to describe the components of a 2-D vector
- Velocity (v)- a vector quantity described as the speed of an object in a given direction.
- Acceleration- changes in velocity are considered acceleration
- Instantaneous- an objects speed, velocity, or acceleration at any given point in time
during its motion
- Average speed- the total distance an object travels divided by time
- Average velocity- the average charge in an object’s velocity over time
- Speed
avg
- distance/ time

- Velocity
avg
(v
avg
) = Δdisplacement/ time
- Acceleration
avg
(a
avg
) = Δ velocity/ time
- Kinematic equations- the equations that relate the position, velocity, and acceleration of
an object moving in a straight path
- The kinematic equations will allow you to solve for each aspect of a projectiles
flight: height (vertical), range (horizontal), and time of flight.