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Lab 2: Inferring force characteristics from motion analysis
Directed motion and resistive forces
In this two-week lab, students examine how various resistive forces scale with the speed of a macroscopic object. Students examine both viscous resistive forces (laminar flow) and drag forces (turbulent flow). Students capture and analyze their own video samples for coffee filters falling through air and for plastic and metal spheres falling through various concentrations of glycerol solution. The students begin examining error analysis and how experimental design and data collection decisions affect the uncertainty in an experimental result. We use macroscopic objects to allow students to tap into their intuitive physical experiences and to begin the process of connecting their everyday experiences with physical laws. Students are introduced to the process of (1) representing observations in multiple ways (graphs, equations, diagrams) and (2) using these multiple representations to make statements about a physical model (e.g. via fitting or via scaling arguments)—a process that is a core component of the rest of the labs.
Week 1:
How can information about forces be derived from a video?
Files for Students:
File for TAs:
Week 2:
Introduction to error propagation
Files for Students:
File for TAs:
Kim Moore, Spring 2014
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