Independent Empirical Investigation Proposal

By:
Erich Rentz
Colt Hawley
Stone Blair

Preliminary Research Question:​ How does air resistance (otherwise known as air drag)
affect the distance a ball travels when launched from the ground at a 45 degree angle?

Experiment Model:

Experiment Setup:

1. Access to Seattle Pacific University Gymnasium (Royal Brougham Pavilion)

2. Physics Department Equipment
a. Ball
b. Ball launcher
c. Measuring Tape/Ruler
d. Recording Equipment (Most likely a smartphone with slow-motion capabilities)
e. Large Parchment Paper Roll
f. Dying substance for ball
g. Sharpie
3. Computer Access
a. Microsoft Excel
Experiment Procedure:

1. Set up the launcher on the ground at a 45 degree angle.

2. Lay out measuring ruler and parchment paper across the gymnasium floor
3. Coat ball with dye to leave mark on paper
4. Set up recording equipment to capture the entire motion of the ball
5. Launch ball
6. Record distance on paper with sharpie
7. Repeat steps 5-6
8. Record the distance traveled horizontally.

Theoretical Models:

First, for our experiment we will want to keep as many unknown variables out of our
experiment. For example, while it would be easiest to measure the effect of air drag on a larger ball
with a larger cross sectional area, we determined that it would not be reliable enough to depend on a
human providing a force and initial velocity to the ball at the start. We decided to use a ball launcher
provided from the physics classroom to ensure that we will get a known, particular initial velocity at a
known angle every time. We also wanted to perform our experiment indoors where there will be no
unwanted effects due to weather, and perform our experiment in a large enough setting where the ball
can have as much room as possible to travel given our experiment.

Second, We also know from our discussions and in-class activities into air drag, that the
equation for air drag is:

F d = 21 CρAv 2

Once we obtain the correct ball size that will fit into the launcher, we can easily calculate A,
the cross sectional area that the air drag will affect as the ball flies through the air. We can assume that
the greek letter ρ, the constant for air density, is 1.225 kg/m​3​. We can also assume that the unitless
drag constant, C, is equal to 0.47. This is because the drag constant is associated with the shape of the
object, and for spherical objects, the constant 0.47 is typical.

Lastly, we can use our prior understanding of kinematics to determine the ideal trajectory of
the ball when launched from a known height above the floor with a fixed angle. Then, we can perform
several trials from the same height level to obtain the experimental data for how far the ball truly
travels with air resistance acting on its trajectory. We can lay out parchment paper on the gym floor
that, upon the balls impact with the paper, will leave a mark of where the ball hit. We can do
anywhere from 20-30 launches record each mark with a sharpie. We can then measure each mark, and
create a standard deviation to approximate the average distance the ball traveled at each height.

With all the information above, we can then compare the ‘ideal’ data with the ‘experimental’
data to determine the exact effect that air resistance had on the trajectory of the ball.
Additional Data:

First, if we really wanted to get precise, we could use a measuring tool to measure the exact
air density in the SPU gym.

Second, in the real world we recognize that the ball will have a rotational motion as well as a
translational motion. In our resources below, we provide a link to a resource that investigates this into
further detail that we can consult before we perform our experiment.

Third, we recognize that the ball will experience air resistance in both the x-direction
(distance) and the y-direction (height). However, our experiment primarily involves investigating the
effect of air resistance in the x-direction. We might try varying heights from where we launch the ball
and see how this affects the ball’s motion as well. A diagram is provided below:

We also need to keep a main principle of air drag in mind--terminal velocity. Terminal
velocity occurs when the gravitational force acting on the object is equal to the drag force that opposes
the object’s motion. At this point, from Newton’s 2nd Law, the acceleration of this object is 0 and the
object can not speed up any more under gravity and drag force alone. The Free-Body-Diagram for this
principle is given below:

Photo Credit: ​https://www.wired.com/2015/01/air-resistance-force-make-difference/

 This concept of terminal velocity will help us in this experiment significantly, primarily
because with our varying elevations, the ball will be experiencing different levels of air resistance in
the y-direction as it comes down to the floor surface. We predict that the higher up in elevation the
ball travels, the greater air resistance it will experience on the way down. However, the ball may or
may not experience terminal velocity at these heights, and at varying heights, ​we are unsure of how
the trajectory of the ball as a whole will change because of air resistance in both directions​. This
would be a fascinating experiment to do alongside with the first proposal given above.

Lastly, we can even think about the uncertainties that might lie within our experiments. This
could take many forms, but these primarily include the uncertainties taking measurements of our setup
using rulers: each distance data point, the uncertainty in the area of the distance mark itself (where the
ball actually hit in the mark), the actual height of the launcher from the floor, the angle of the
launcher, and the diameter of the ball.

Resources:
● Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Randall. Knight. 4th Edition.
● http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/336k/Newtonhtml/node29.html
● https://www.wired.com/2015/01/air-resistance-force-make-difference/
● https://www.askamathematician.com/2010/08/q-why-does-putting-spin-on-a-ball-change-how
-it-moves-through-the-air/