ProjectileLabAdvanced (studentversion)

Inthislabyouwillshootaprojectileacrosstheroomwitharubberbandandcalculatehowfaritflies. Youwillfirstdosomepreliminarymeasurementstofindthemassofyourprojectile,thestrength (elasticconstant)oftherubberband,andthelaunchheight.Byusingconservationofenergy,youwill thenbeabletopredictthespeedwithwhichtheprojectileislaunchedandhowfaritwillfly.

Part1PreliminaryMeasurements
Tasks1,2,and3canbedoneatthesametimebydifferentmembersofyourgroup.

Task1MassoftheProjectile

Youwilluseasimplebalancetomeasurethemassofyourprojectile. 1. In yourlabkitthereshouldbe awoodenbarwithtwoziploc baggiesattached.Usethisbalanceasshowninthepicture.When the masses in the two baggies are the same, the wooden bar shouldbehorizontal. Youhavebeenprovidedwithpenniesandbeadstouseasmass standards.Ausefulfact:accordingtotheUSmint,apost1982 pennyhasmass2.5g. 2. Balancethebeadsagainstapenny. 1penny=__________________beads. Eachbeadmusthavemass__________________g. 3. Placeyourprojectile(thewoodenstickwithmetalnutsontheend)intoonebaggieonthe balance.Useacombinationofpenniesandbeadstobalancetheprojectile. 1projectile=_________pennies+___________beads

Themassoftheprojectileis___________________g

Task2ElasticityoftheRubberBand
Youwillmeasuretheelasticconstantoftherubberbandwhichwillbeusedtoshootyourprojectile. Thiselasticconstanttellsyouhowstrongtherubberbandis.Thebiggertheelasticconstant,themore forceisrequiredtostretchthebandandthemoreenergyisstoredinthebandbystretchingit. Ifweapproximatetherubberbandasaspringwithelasticconstantk,thentheforceexertedbytheband whenitisstretchedadistancexisgivenby: Felastic = kx Thegravitationalforceexertedonanobjectofmassmisgivenbythefollowing(whereg=980cm/s2 isthegravitationalaccelerationonEarth): Fgravity = mg
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Placearubberbandaroundthebasketprovided.Ononesideofthebasket,therubber bandshouldgoacrossthe1strowofholesundertheopentop.Ontheothersideofthebasket,it shouldgoacrossthe2ndrowofholesfromthetop. Thesidewhereitpassesthe2nd rowof holesisthesideyouwillusetoloadyourprojectile. Adjusttherubberbandsothatitisevenlytightallaroundthe basket. Use small pieces of tape at the corners to secure the rubberband.Donotadjusttherubberbandafteryoumeasurethe elasticitythiswouldthrowoffyourpredictions. Placethepackageofcandyfromyourkitinaziplocbag. Useapapercliptosuspendthebagfromtherubberband.Thebag shouldbehangingfromthecenteroftherubberbandontheside whereitgoesacrossthe2ndrowofholes.

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Themassintheziplocbagis_________________g (Lookforthenetweightonthepackageofcandy,andassumethat thepackagingitselfissolightthatyoucanneglectit)

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Usearulertomeasurethedistancefromtherubberband (wherethepaperclipisattached)tothesideofthebasket,as illustratedbelow:

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Therubberbandstretchedatotalof__________cmfromthebasket. (Roundupifitfallsbetweenmmmarks)

6. Whileitishangingfromrubberband,theZiplocbagisnotaccelerating.Thismeansthetotal forceonitmustaddupto0.Thatis,theforceoftherubberbandpullingupexactlycancelsout theforceofgravitypullingdownonthemass.Usingtheequationsgivenaboveforthesetwo forces,solvefortheelasticconstant,k,oftherubberband.

Theelasticconstantoftherubberbandisk=______________g/s2

Task3Timeofflight

Youwillcalculatethetimeittakesforyourprojectiletohitthegroundafteritislaunched. Timeofflightdependsonlyonstartingheightandonthegravitationalacceleration,g=980cm/s2 Itdoesnotdependonthemassoftheprojectileoronitshorizontalvelocityasitislaunched! 1. Usethemetersticktomeasuretheheightofthetablefromwhichyouwillbelaunchingthe projectile. Theprojectilewillbelaunchedfromheight_______________cm 2. Anobjectthatfallsataconstantaccelerationgforatimetwilltravelaverticaldistancehgiven by: 1 where g = 980 2 h = 2 2 3. Howlongwillittaketheprojectiletohitthefloorafteritislaunched?Solvetheequationfor time,plugginginthenumbersforheighthandaccelerationg. Thetimetofallfromthetopofthetabletothegroundis_____________seconds. 4. Ifyouaredoneandothermembersofyourgrouparestillworking,helpthemwiththeirtask.

Part2Ready,Aim,Fire
Topredicthowfartheprojectilewillfly,youneedtoknowthevelocityvwithwhichitleavesthe launcher.Tofindthisvelocity,wewillusetheconservationofenergy. Arubberbandwithelasticconstantk,stretchedadistancexstoresanenergyof: 1 Potential Energy = kx 2 2 Aobjectofmassm,movingatspeedvhasakineticenergyof: 1 Kinetic Energy = mv 2 2 Ifalltheenergystoredintherubberbandisconvertedintothekineticenergyoftheprojectile (Potential Energy=Kinetic Energy), solve for the velocity v of the projectile in terms of the

variablesk,m,andx v=_________________________(equationusingk,m,x)

1.PluginthevaluesyoumeasuredinPart1forthemassoftheprojectile (m) [Task1]andthe elasticconstantoftherubberband(k)[Task2]. Inthetablebelow,fillintheprojectilevelocityfordifferentvaluesofx Distancerubberband isstretched(x) 2cm 3cm 4cm Velocityof projectile(v) cm/sec cm/sec cm/sec Predicted FlightDistance cm cm cm MeasuredFlight Distance cm cm cm %Error

2. Foreachrowinthetable,findthedistancethattheprojectileshouldtravel.Usethetimeof flightyoufoundinTask3.Remember,distance=rate*time. 3. Placethetargetsfromyourkitatthepredicteddistancesfromtheedgeofthetable.Ifthe floorisslippery,youmayneedtotapetheminplacetopreventthemfromsliding. 4. Thetailedgeoftheprojectilehasbeenmarkedat1cmintervals. Puttheprojectileinthe launcherasillustratedbelow.Makesuretheprojectileishorizontalasitislaunched.

5. Trylaunchingtheprojectilebypullingbacktothe2,3,and4cmmark.Everyoneshould haveachancetolaunch.Haveonepersonfromyourgroupstandtothesideandwatch wherethetipoftheprojectilelands. 6. Measuretheactualdistanceflownbytheprojectileandfillinthe4thcolumnofthetable.If youhavetime,doseverallaunchesandputintheaveragedistancetraveled. 7. Calculatetheerrorinyourpredictionsusing%error.Remembertofillinthevaluesinthe tableabove.

% Error =

( ) 100

Part3BonusChallenge
1. Askateacherorvolunteertoplaceatargetinfrontofyourtable.Yourgoalistofigureouthow farbackyouwanttopulltherubberbandsoastohitthetarget. 2. Measurethedistanceofthetargetfromthetable.LookbacktoPart2tofigureouthowto dothecalculations Weareaimingforaflightdistance___________________cm. Toflythisdistance,theprojectileneedstobelaunchedwithspeedv=_________cm/s Toachievethisspeed,therubberbandneedstobepulledbackx=____________cm 3. Makeamarkonyourprojectileforthelengththatyouwanttopullbackontherubberband. Trylaunchingtohitthetarget!Doseveraltries.Howclosewereyou?

PostLabQuestions
1. Bywhatfactorwillthedistancethattheprojectileflieschange,ifthefollowingvariablesare altered: (a)Theprojectileistwiceasheavy. (b)Thetableistwiceashigh. (c.)Theelasticconstantoftherubberbandistwiceaslarge. (d)Youpulltherubberbandbacktwiceasfar (e)Youlaunchonthemoon,wheregravityis1/6thatofearth. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

2. Didyourcalculationstendtooverestimateorunderestimatethedistancewhichtheprojectile flew? If you overestimated, where did some of the stored potential energy go? If you underestimated,wheredidtheextraenergycomefrom?

3. Which of the following errors in measurement would have the greatest effect on your predictedflightdistance? 1 h = 2 v= 2 (a)A10%errorinmeasuringthemass. (b)A10%errorinmeasuringtheelasticconstant (c)A10%errorinmeasuringtheheightofthetable (d)A10%errorinmeasuringthedistancetowhichyoupullbacktherubberband

4. Howwouldthetimeofflightandthedistancetraveledbytheprojectilechangeifyouwere tolaunchatanangleupwardsratherthanhorizontallyoffthetable?

5. Supposeyouhadasmanypenniesasyouwantedinyourkit,butyoudidnotknowthemassof apenny.Couldyoustilldothislabwiththematerialsprovided?Whatextrameasurement wouldberequiredorwhatmeasurementwouldyouchangeandhow?