Zack's Method (Horizontal Launch)
Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to calculate the potential energy of a spring as it launches a marble horizontally into the air.
Materials: ruler, tape measure, launcher, and marble
Procedure: First we gathered all materials and went outside. We used the ruler to measure how high the marble was being launched from and the distance of each compression. From this we were able to calculate the time it takes for the marble to hit the ground. Then we set up the launcher and tape measure so that we could measure how far the marble went. After that we launched the marble from each level of compression available from the launcher and recorded the distances. We then shared data with another group that used the same method, and began our calculations in excel.
Data and Calculations:
Materials: ruler, tape measure, launcher, and marble
Procedure: First we gathered all materials and went outside. We used the ruler to measure how high the marble was being launched from and the distance of each compression. From this we were able to calculate the time it takes for the marble to hit the ground. Then we set up the launcher and tape measure so that we could measure how far the marble went. After that we launched the marble from each level of compression available from the launcher and recorded the distances. We then shared data with another group that used the same method, and began our calculations in excel.
Data and Calculations:
Conclusion: This lab allowed me to calculate the potential energy that was in a spring I used to launch a marble horizontally into the air. I did this by finding the kinetic energy using the formula .5mv^2, after calculating what the velocity was using my data. I was able to see the law of conservation of energy in action, as the potential energy was equal to the potential energy. However, this lab could have some errors. We shared data with another group which means we assumed our launchers were the exact same. Also we assumed air resistance was neglible which isnt actually the case.