Inelastic Collisions Lab

IA CG
Criteria Aspect IA CG
Score Total
Justification demonstrates personal
Personal
significance, interest or curiosity
Engagement
Personal input & initiative
Identified Problem & relevant variables
Background information, context and
hypothesis
Exploration Procedure controls variables & provides
relevant and sufficient data
Awareness of safety, environmental &
ethical issues.
Sufficient quantitative & qualitative data
Analysis (Data Appropriate & sufficient processing.
Collection & Consideration of significant figures and
Processing) measurement uncertainty.
Correctly interpreted data.
Justification of conclusion with data
Justification of conclusion within
scientific context
Evaluation Strengths and limits of data and
methodology
Realistic relevant improvements &
extensions
Clear & coherent structure
Relevant & concise information
Communication
Appropriate terminology and
conventions
RAW DATA:

Amount of Time Taken by Cart to travel from Position of One Photogate to Another
Position of first Position of Trial 1 (t​1​/ ± Trial 2 (t​2​/ ± Trial 3 (t​3​/ ±
photogate second 2 × 10​-6​ sec) 2 × 10​-6​ sec) 2 × 10​-6​ sec)
(p​1 /​ ± 8 × 10​-1 photogate
cm) (p​2 ​/ ± 8 × 10​-1
cm)

30.0 40.0 0.177735 0.204402 0.178690

30.0 50.0 0.338398 0.337211 0.342382

30.0 60.0 0.497000 0.508405 0.525506

30.0 70.0 0.667998 0.666099 0.696498

30.0 80.0 0.841731 0.850517 0.840200

Note: The uncertainty of the position of the photogate is not just 0.05cm, because the infrared
LED beam may not have been exactly in the middle of the photogate. Due to complications of
measuring the exact distance width of the laser, it is assumed that the laser lies somewhere in
between the width of the photogate. Since only half of the width of the photogate is used to
during the lab, the uncertainty of the meter track and the width of the photogate is 0.75cm, which
is rounded up to .8 cm. This rounded value is due to the fact that uncertainties should only have
one significant figure. And also, the photogate was not exactly vertical when mounted onto the
track. Although this is not taken to account into the uncertainty, it should at least be kept in
mind.
Also, since there are two photogates to track the time, the uncertainty of the photogates are
double.