Title: Determine how mass affects the way an object is pulled by gravity
Aim: To find out the effect of mass on the falling time of an object from a specific height. In this experiment we will be dropping three different balls with different masses from a specific height and recording the time it takes to hit the ground. Hypothesis: The ball that is heavier/has more mass will hit the ground faster than balls that are less heavy/have less mass.
Materials:
• One 1m ruler
• Three different balls with different masses (softball, hollow plastic ball, and ping-pong ball
• Stop watch
Variables:
Independent:
• Mass of each of the balls will not change after various trials
Dependent:
• Time it takes for the ball to hit the ground might be different after each trial
Controlled:
• Height at which ball is dropped
• Ball dropped at rest/initial speed
Method/Procedure:
1. Support 1m ruler vertically against the wall
2. Hold ball at 1m high from the ground at the top of the ruler
3. Start the timer at the instant the ball is released from your hands (make sure stopwatch is zeroed before each trial)
4. Stop stopwatch the instant the ball hits the ground
5. Record results in suitable table
6. Repeat for each of the balls
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We conducted our experiment outside so wind might have also affected our results. Air resistance might have affected the ball because the balls might have had small holes and cracks that could have slowed down or sped up the time it took to hit the ground. Also there could have been a systematic error from the device. To improve this experiment we would need equipment that could measure the results more precisely, if the balls used were checked for cracks and holes before and during the experiment and if we conducted the experiment in a room with no