Group Assignment: Drag Race- Analysis of position vs.

time data Group members: Period:

This assignment uses some useful tools of excel to analyze the motion of an object (in this case race cars) at different times. To begin, Open the excel spreadsheet Drag ace.xls.! "lic# on the box $roup members! and type in the names of all members of your group. %n the box period! type in your period. &ou 'ill see data of t'o race cars, labeled (lue "ar and ed "ar, for e)ual times of a race. &our job is to use the data, along 'ith basic tools pro*ided by excel to analyze the motion of the race cars. +art %, $raphic -nalysis of the racecars +lot the position *s. time data on a scatter plot. .abel all the axis and include any gridlines needed to help you determine the position at *arious times. +lace the graph as a ne' sheet/ gi*e the sheet the name of blue car.! +rint out this graph, and 'rite in the areas 'here the car is stopped, accelerating and0or decelerating, and mo*ing at a constant *elocity. 1a*ing determined these regions, you are no' ready to determine the *elocity of the racecar. 2elect any data point/ this should highlight the entire data series. (y selecting and then right clic#ing on any data point, you can format that point to include the x 3 y *alues at that point. Do this for the beginning and end of the region 'here the racecar is mo*ing at a constant *elocity. 4se this data to calculate the a*erage *elocity of the racecar o*er this region. 567 8hat is the a*erage *elocity of the (lue "ar in the region of constant *elocity9

V= 31.88 m/s
-n easier 'ay to find the *elocity is to ha*e :xcel do it for you. $raph only the region of constant *elocity for the (lue "ar and place the graph as a ne' sheet, label this sheet slope.! ;o', left clic# on a data point and select -dd Trendline.! "hoose a linear fit and be sure to ha*e :xcel display the e)uation on the chart. 5<7 8hat does the slope of the trendline gi*e you9 8hat is this *alue9

The velocity of the car. V=31.375 m/s

5=7 %s the gi*en Trendline a perfect fit9 %f no, 'hat does this tell you about the instantaneous and a*erage *elocities of the race car9

No, the trendline lies below the oint in some laces, and above in other laces. This tells yo! that the avera"e velocity over a re"ion isn#t necessarily the e$act velocity at all oints in the re"ion.

;o', graph the position *s. time data for both the ed and (lue "ar on the same set of axis. ;ame this graph intersection.! 5>7 Do these points intersect9 8hat does the point of intersection represent9

%es, they intersect. This oint re resents where the bl!e car assed the red car.
5?7 -ssuming the race is <@@ m., 'hich car one the race9 8hy9

The bl!e car won, beca!se it reaches the &'' m. mar( at an earlier time than the red car.
+art %%, Data analysis of position *s. time 8e may not be able to determine the instantaneous *elocity of the race cars at any point ('ith the data gi*en), but 'e can come to a close approximation if 'e use small time inter*als and find the a*erage *elocity o*er the small inter*al. 8hy9 The gi*en inter*als (.? s) are good as compared 'ith the total region of constant *elocity. 4se the region pro*ided on the spreadsheet to determine the instantaneous! *elocity at each point. 5A7 8hat is the maximum *elocity of each car9 1o' does the maximum *elocity of the (lue "ar compare 'ith the a*erage *elocity computed earlier9

The bl!e car#s ma$im!m velocity is 3) m/s, and the red car#s ma$im!m velocity is &8.38 m/s. The ma$im!m velocity is hi"her than the avera"e velocity of the car over the re"ion of *constant# velocity.