PASCO ME-9283 Tape Timer - Manual (Page 10)

Tape Timer 012-04944B
6
Record the positions in Table 1.
Table 1 Data and Analysis
Position (cm)
∆
x (cm) Avg. v (cm/s) t (sec)
Analysis
➀ Calculate the distance (
∆
x) between dots by subtracting the positions of adjacent dots. Record in
Table 1.
➁ Calculate the average speed using
v =
∆
x
∆
t
where
∆
t is the time between dots.
Since the Tape Timer was set on 40 Hz, it was making 40 dots per second which means that the
time between dots is 1/40 second or 0.025 seconds. Record the average speeds in Table 1.
➂ Write down the time that each average speed occurred in the last column of Table 1. These are
the elapsed times, not the time intervals. Assume that the first average speed occurred at time
zero. The beginning of the timing is arbitrary since it will not affect the resulting slope of the
line.
➃
Plot the average speed versus time on graph paper.
➄
Draw the best-fit straight line and find its slope.
slope = g = _______________________
➅ Calculate the percent difference between the slope and the accepted value for g.
% difference = ____________________