Introduction

“Free-fall experiment”
In this experiment, we do the experiment as a group of 4, which were :
- Mr. Supakorn Suwanlertlum No. 17 (to be in charge of timer A)
- Ms. Nichapatch Thepnimitr No. 18 (to be in charge of timer C )
- Yadaporn Thongpoon No. 19 (to be in charge of ball collector at 2nd floor)
- Punyapa Titichoatrattana No. 20 (to be in charge of timer B )
from table 5 from section 1103 in physics class. The setting of the experiment were on the ground
of 2nd floor to the balcony of the 4th floor of MUIDS. Everyone in the group has his/her own task
which is different from each other.
- Timer A (Mr.Supakorn) was in charge of dropping the ball from the 4th floor and giving
the signal to start time recording until each ball hits the ground. (All timer measuring the
time seperately.)
- Timer B (Ms.Punyapa) was in charge of noting down the both measured height and time
also recording the time.
- Timer C (Msm.Nichapatch) was in charge of using the measuring tape to measure the
height from the balcony of the 4th floor to the ground of 2nd floor with assistance from
ball collector from the 2nd floor also recording the time.
- Ball collector (Ms.Yadaporn) was in charge of bringing all the balls that were used back to
the laboratory.
According to the second law of Newton, free fall is a special type of motion in which the
only force acting upon an object is gravity. Objects that are said to be undergoing free fall, are not
encountering a significant force of air resistance; they are falling under the sole influence of
gravity. Under such conditions, all objects will fall with the same rate of acceleration, regardless
of their mass.
The purpose of studying on this experiment is to find and to prove the acceleration of the free-
fall gravity which is 9.80 m / s2; however, the air resistance is still acting on the two objects in
different size and mass but shape and giving the different result in time of the objects hitting the
ground.
 Objective

In this experiment, we will find how tennis ball and table tennis that have differences in mass act
in free fall even though free-fall acceleration is always 9.80 m / s2. This experiment also provided for the
students to be specialized at using the formula and using the measurement while doing the experiment.

1
Materials

2
Set-up

3
Procedure

1. Preparing the materials (3 tennis ball, 3 table tennis ball, measuring tape, and 3
stopwatches)
2. Use a measuring tape to measure the height from the fourth floor to the ground of the
second floor.
3. Drop the table tennis ball down from the fourth floor. When it hit the ground, record the
data table.
4. Drop tennis ball down from the fourth floor. When it hit the ground, record the data table.
5. Repeat dropping both table tennis and tennis ball three times.
6. Average the time recorded for both object.
7. Calculate the distance and percent difference of both objects.
8. Collect the data and results.

4
Data and Results
A. Height of 4th floor balcony using heavy object

Measured height = 9.52 meters

Trails Time (second) Average Time Distance % Difference

(seconds) (meters)
Timer A Timer B Timer C

1 1.47 1.50 1.50 1.49 10.87 13.24 %

2 1.54 1.50 1.46 1.51 11.17 15.92 %

3 1.53 1.47 1.47 1.49 10.87 13.24 %

Total average 1.49 10.97 14.14 %

Distance % Difference
ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 − ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑
Formula: Yf = Yi + Vi(t) + (½ )(g)(t^2) Formula:( ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 + ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 ) * 100
2

Trail 1: Trail 1:
9.52 − 10.87
Yf = ½ (9.8)(1.49)^2 ( 9.52 + 10.87 ) * 100 = 13.24 %
Yf = 10.87 2

Trail 2:
Trail 2:
Yf = ½ (9.8)(1.51)^2 9.52 − 11.17
Yf = 11.17 ( 9.52 + 11.17 ) * 100 = 15.94 %
2

Trail 3:
Yf = ½ (9.8)(1.19)^2 Trail 3:
Yf = 10.87 9.52 − 10.87
( 9.52 + 10.87 ) * 100 = 13.24 %
2
Total average:

10.87+11.17+10.87
= 1.49 Total average:
3 13.24 + 15.94 + 13.24
= 14.14 %
3

5
B. Height of 4th balcony using light object

Measured height = ---------9.52 meters

Trails Time (seconds) Average Time Distance % Difference

(seconds) (meters)
Timer A Timer B Timer C

1 1.56 1.75 1.62 1.64 13.17 32.17 %

2 1.96 1.93 1.87 1.92 18.06 61.92 %

3 2.03 2.03 1.97 2.01 19.97 70.07 %

Total average 1.86 17.07 54.69 %

Distance % Difference
ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 − ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑
Formula: Yf = Yi + Vi(t) + (½ )(g)(t^2) Formula: ( ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 + ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 ) * 100
2

Trail 1:
Yf = ½ (9.8)(1.64)^2 Trail 1:
9.52 − 13.17
Yf = 13.17 ( 9.52 + 13.17 ) * 100 = 32.17 %
2

Trail 2:
Yf = ½ (9.8)(1.92)^2
Trail 2:
Yf = 18.06 9.52 − 18.06
( 9.52 + 18.06 ) * 100 = 61.92 %
2
Trail 3:
Yf = ½ (9.8)(2.01)^2
Yf = 19.97 Trail 3:
9.52 − 19.97
( 9.52 + 19.97 ) * 100 = 70.07 %
Total average: 2

13.17 + 18.06 + 19.97

3
= 17.07
Total average:
32.17 + 61.92 + 70.07
= 54.69 %
3

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C. Calculate the instantaneous velocity (V) from both objects

Instantaneous Velocity Heavy Object Light Object

Time (s) V (m/s) Time (s) V (m/s)

When the object is midway 0.98 4.90 0.92 5.17

At the instant the object hit the ground 1.47 6.47 1.82 5.23

Heavy Object Light Object

Formula: Yf = Yi + Vi(t) + (½ )(g)(t^2) Formula: Yf = Yi + Vi(t) + (½ )(g)(t^2)

When the object is midway: When the object is midway:

9.52 9.52
→ Yf = 2 = 4.76 → Yf = 2 = 4.76
→ Yf = 0 + 0 + ½(9.8)t)^2 𝑥 9.52
→ v = = = 5.14 m/s
𝑡 1.85
t^2 = 0.975 → Δy = v(Δt)
t = √𝟎. 𝟗𝟕𝟓 = 0.98s 4.76 = 5.14(Δt)
→ Δy = v(Δt) Δt = 0.92s
4.76 = v(0.98) → Δy = v(Δt)
v = 4.90 m/s 4.76 = v(0.92)
v = 5.17 m/s
At the instant the object hit the ground:
𝛥𝑦
→ v = 𝛥𝑡 At the instant the object hit the ground:
9.52 𝛥𝑦
v = 1.47= 6.47 m/s → v = 𝛥𝑡
9.52
v = 1.82= 5.23 m/s

7
Calculation

In this experiment, we have measured and calculated several variables such as the height
measured and calculated of the balcony, total average time, total average calculated distance,
and total average percent(%) difference. First, we measured the height of the balcony by using
the measuring tape. Then the three timers recorded the time for each trial. We calculated total
average time for both heavy and light objects by adding all the time recorded divided by 3. There
are three formulas that are necessary for calculating all the variables in this experiment. The first
one is the formula for finding displacement which is Δy = v(Δt). This formula helps us figure out
the calculated height of the balcony. The second one is for finding either velocity or time, which
𝛥𝑣
is g = 𝛥𝑡 . As we already knew the gravity(g) is -9.8 m/s^2 and time recorded(Δt), therefore we can

calculate for velocity(Δv) by plugging in the data recorded. The last formula which is necessary for
this experiment is Yf = Yi + Vi(t) + (½ )(g)(t^2), which is for finding final displacement(Yf). We
already knew the gravity(g) and time recorded(Δt), and the initial displacement(Yi) and
velocity(Vi) are equal to zero, then we can just plug it into the formula and calculate for the final
displacement(Yf).
In the last part of this experiment, we also calculated the object’s velocity when it is at
the midway and its instant velocity before it hits the ground. First we calculated the distance of
the midway by using the original measured height of the balcony divided by 2. Then we plugged
in the distance of the midway and the gravity(g) into the formula of Yf = Yi +Vit + ½(g)(t^2). This
formula helps us figure out the time of the object when it is at the midway(t). Once we got the
time and the displacement of the object, we used these data to calculate the object’s velocity by
𝛥𝑦
plugging it into the formula of v = 𝛥𝑡 . Lastly, we calculated the instantaneous velocity of the object
𝛥𝑦
when it hits the ground by using the formula of v = . For this calculation, the displacement(Δy)
𝛥𝑡

is the original measured height of the balcony which is 9.52 meters and the time(Δt) is one to two
seconds before it hits the ground. The heavy object hit the ground at 1.49 seconds and the light
object hit the ground at 1.85 seconds, therefore the time for both objects are 1.47 seconds and
1.83 seconds respectively.

8
Analysis of Results

According to the second law of Newton, free fall is a special type of motion in which the
only force acting upon an object is gravity. Objects that are said to be undergoing free fall, are not
encountering a significant force of air resistance; they are falling under the sole influence of
gravity. Under such conditions, all objects will fall with the same rate of acceleration, regardless
of their mass.
The purpose of studying on this experiment is to find and to prove the acceleration of the free-
fall gravity which is 9.80 m / s2; however, the air resistance is still acting on the two objects in
different size and mass but shape and giving the different result in time of the objects hitting the
ground.
According to the data it shown above that tennis ball is more accurate than the light
object which is table tennis ball because tennis ball have a lot of mass but less air resistant.

9
Conclusion

In conclusion, this experiment has proved that air resistance affects the free-fall theory.
This is proved by all the data collected during the experiment and also the results from the
calculation of each part. Therefore, this experiment has proved that the free-fall theory only exists
when it is a non-gravity situation.

10
Recommendation

In our opinion, we need to work more and be careful on the calculation part and we need
to make the flowchart for the experiment and we need to understand the experiment also.
Because of lacking some knowledge in this unit which make us have a hard time understanding
each affect in experiment,and we forgot to do the flowchart which make us took a long time to
do the experiment because we don’t know the instruction of the experiment. We also did not
know which formula does we need to use for calculation section. Moreover, in data and result,
the numbers in the table was not the most accurate because we round it up which make the
number change a bit and it also has an affect on our final result as well. Therefore, if we have
another opportunity for this experiment again, we will try to understand the lesson and making
the flowchart before doing the experiment to make our work more flowy and reduce time taken
in experiment, and be more careful on the calculation part to gain the most accurate result
without having any error in our work.

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 WorkLog

Name Work
- Timer A (Drop balls)
Supakorn Suwanlertlum - Recommendation
- References
- Worklog

- Timer C (Measure with a

measuring tape)
- Calculation
Nichapatch Thepnimitr - Analysis & Result
- Conclusion

- Ball collector
- Objective
Yadaporn Thongpoon - Proceduce
- Data & Result

- Timer B (Take note)

- Introduction
Punyapa Titichoatrattana - Material
- Set-up

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References
- The Physics Classroom Tutorial. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-3/Free-Fall-and-Air-
Resistance.
- Freefall review. (0AD). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-
physics-1/ap-one-dimensional-motion/falling-objects-ap-physics/a/freefall-ap1.

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