Measuring Acceleration of Falling Object: Mark Symbol?

In summary: We are told that the symbols used on the ticker tape were "g" for grams and a number. But we are not told what that number might be. Presumably it would be a measure of the distance between marks. It would not be the mass of the object that was being measured.
  • #1
gnome222
16
0
I used a ticker to measure to measure the acceleration of falling object. And and now I am writing report about it and the problem is what symbol is used for the marks on the ticker tape? Like for grams (g). What would you use for marks(?) ?
 
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  • #2
It's not clear how you can measure the acceleration of an object just by making some marks on a ticker tape. What are the marks used to indicate?
Please describe more fully what you did.
 
  • #3
SteamKing said:
It's not clear how you can measure the acceleration of an object just by making some marks on a ticker tape. What are the marks used to indicate?
Please describe more fully what you did.
well, i got a car with constant velocity and let it run for three seconds with ticker tape attached to it. Then i got a 1 gram mass and throw it from 2 meters , 1.75m, 1.5m,1.25m,1 m with ticker tape attached to it. Then i took the frequency of the constant velocity car and found the acceleration of the mass. But my question is what symbol would you use for the marks on the ticker tape when you are processing the data.
 
  • #4
You haven't explained how the marks got on the tape. Were they on the tape when it was supplied? Did you have a machine put the marks on the tape as the car pulled it through the machine? If so did it put them on at regular time or regular distance intervals? It makes a difference to what symbol might be appropriate.
 
  • #5
gnome222 said:
I used a ticker to measure to measure the acceleration of falling object. And and now I am writing report about it and the problem is what symbol is used for the marks on the ticker tape? Like for grams (g). What would you use for marks(?) ?

dont u think that there wouldn't be any need of using velocity, displacement and time and then calculate acceleration if there was any possible means of calculating acceleration just like that... please read the basic things about a physical quantity..."
 
  • #6
In a lab notebook, it is appropriate to record measurements in terms of "number of marks". It is always proper to record measurements in original form. When analyzing the data it is usually important to be able to convert from "number of marks" to elapsed time or some such. The conversion from raw reading to a numeric measure (and error bar) reported in standard units will depend on details of the measuring device and its calibration. We have not been given those details.
 

Related to Measuring Acceleration of Falling Object: Mark Symbol?

1. How do you measure acceleration of a falling object?

To measure acceleration of a falling object, you need to use the formula a = (v-u)/t, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, and t is the time taken. You can use a stopwatch to measure the time taken, and calculate the initial and final velocities using the distance the object falls and the time taken.

2. What is the symbol for acceleration?

The symbol for acceleration is "a". It is often represented in equations as a lowercase letter with an arrow above it to indicate it is a vector quantity.

3. How does the acceleration of a falling object change with time?

Assuming there is no air resistance, the acceleration of a falling object remains constant at 9.8 meters per second squared. This means that for every second the object falls, its velocity increases by 9.8 meters per second.

4. Can the acceleration of a falling object be negative?

Yes, the acceleration of a falling object can be negative if it is moving in the opposite direction of the positive direction. For example, if a ball is thrown upwards, its acceleration will be negative as it slows down and eventually falls back towards the ground.

5. How do you graph the acceleration of a falling object?

To graph the acceleration of a falling object, you can plot the time on the x-axis and the acceleration on the y-axis. The resulting graph will be a straight line with a slope of 9.8 meters per second squared, representing the constant acceleration. The initial velocity and air resistance can also affect the shape of the graph.

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