Space Prac Notes

Sunday, 20 November 2016 9:36 PM

Solve problems and analyse information to calculate gravitational field strength

Solve problems and analyse information relating to orbital motion and the motion of a projectile
Projectile Motion Equations: Orbital Motion Equations:

General form x-component y-component Escape velocity:

Orbital speed:

Orbital velocity:

(towards centre of Earth)

• Note: Orbital radius or Altitude? Kepler's Law of Periods:

Constants

Mass of Earth
Radius of Earth (remember to convert to m)
Pendulum Prac

○ Period (T) = time for 1 oscillation (returns to same position, i.e. back and forth)
○ Note: only applies to small amplitudes (angles ≤ 10°)

• Controlled variables: start swing at same amplitude (angle 5°), same mass of pendulum, time
measured for same number of swings (5 oscillations)
• Possible errors:
○ Human error due to reaction time (not stopping stopwatch after exactly 5 swings)
○ Judging same positions for start/end of period timing
○ Judging correct pivot point and centre of mass for pendulum length
○ Difficult to release pendulum and start stopwatch at exact same time (no coordination)
○ Air resistance when pendulum is moving
○ Friction with pivot
○ A point mass wasn't used
○ Not purely 2D motion (progression of rotation)
• Possible improvements:

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 • Possible improvements:
○ Use same person to time/let go of pendulum at the same time
○ Use smaller/negligible mass for the pendulum
○ Use of technology to measure time (light gate for period)
Projectile Motion Prac
• and must be accumulative (change in displacement from original position at t = 0)
○ should increase at a constant rate, should increase then decrease
• Calculate and between each interval of time
○ should be constant, should decrease at a constant rate
• Note: direction on axes!!!
• Galileo's Analysis of Projectile Motion:
1. Projectile motion can be separated into horizontal and vertical components which
behave independently
▪ Each graph shows a reliable trend corresponding to one of the two perpendicular
components of motion, confirming that the two components behave
independently
2. Horizontal component experiences no acceleration (i.e. constant velocity)
▪ Indicated by horizontal LOBF, meaning is constant (zero acceleration)
3. Vertical component experiences constant downwards acceleration (i.e. gravity)
▪ Indicated by straight LOBF with negative gradient, meaning is decreasing at a
constant rate (consant negative acceleration due to gravity)
Perform an investigation to help distinguish between non-inertial and inertial frames of reference
• Drop a ball whilst on a train in three situations: when train is stationary, moving at constant
velocity, accelerating
• Observe path of ball as it is released from hand in these three situations to distinguish
between non-inertial and inertial frames of reference
• In inertial frames of reference (stationary, constant velocity): ball will drop straight down
• In non-inertial frames of reference (train accelerating): ball will drop down at angle in direction
opposite to direction of acceleration of train
General Prac Skills
Accuracy

• The accuracy of an experiment is affected by:

○ precision of equipment (out of your control)
○ experimental design
• Improving measurement precision can improve the experimental accuracy
• However, if the experimental design is not good,
○ improving measurement precision will not, necessarily improve accuracy
○ designing the experimental method properly will do more to improve the accuracy
Reliability
• The reliability of a measurement is affected by:
○ reliability of equipment (out of your control)
○ experimental design
• Simply repeating a measurement will NOT improve its reliability
○ It is a function of a method
Measurement Repetition
• Repeating measurements will only give you a measure of reliability
• Repeating measurements will generally improve accuracy, but not always
• Reliability can only be improved by better experimental design
Validity
• An experiment is valid if it reliably and accurately investigates the proposed aim/hypothesis
• Three features of experimental vailidity:
○ methodology
○ results
○ conclusion
Assessing Validity

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Assessing Validity
• Methodology
○ Applies accepted Laws and mathematical relationships
○ A fair test (all variables are controlled except for the dependent and independent)
○ Enough repetitions to assess reliability
○ The type of analysis used was appropriate
• Results
○ Reliability is acceptable
○ Accuracy is acceptable
• Conclusion
○ Related directly to the aim/hypothesis
Errors
• Random errors
○ An error that is random in magnitude and sign
○ Data is above/below LOBF
• Systematic errors
○ An error that is consistent in magnitude and sign
○ Applies systematically to all results
○ Non-zero y-intercept, assuming it is supposed to go through origin
Extras
RELIABILITY
• Two components:
1. data in table - look at deviation from mean
2. relationship between ... in graph - good fit of data points to the LOBF (all points lie on or
very close to LOBF)
• Make judgement on reliability based on which component result was obtained from.
ACCURACY
• Quantitatively assess - calculation then make a judgement
• Compare to accepted error of 10% in the lab
COMPARE value and accuracy (% error)
Main ERRORS: friction, human error, coordination, parallax error

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