Question

Questions:

What is the main source of error for calculating velocity from tangent lines on your graph?

What is the shape of a position vs. time graph and a velocity vs. time graph for a falling object?

Why do you have to compute the velocity for each point in your data?Why can’t you just find it from the first and last points in your data table?

Answer 1

1) Graph is averaging technique. Hence error will arise due to averaging.

Position time graph is rectangular hyperbola. Position in successive seconds is in ratio of odd multiples of initial displacement..

Velocity time graph is a straight line. Slope of graph is acceleration. For a falling object acceleration is constant. Hence its alinear graph.

To get a good linear fit, precession should be more. Then the error will be less. Hence number of observations should be large. Hence velocity is measured at more interval then initial and final.