Analyzing Ball's Vertical Displacement on a Ramp

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on analyzing vertical displacement data collected from a ball rolling down a ramp. The data includes horizontal displacements in meters and corresponding vertical displacements in millimeters from multiple tests. The participant seeks to identify and remove anomalies to calculate a more accurate average vertical displacement. They have proposed a formula, y = gx²/2v², to estimate vertical displacement based on gravitational force and horizontal displacement, but face challenges due to the assumption that all potential energy converts to kinetic energy.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, specifically gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.
  • Familiarity with data analysis techniques, including identifying anomalies in datasets.
  • Knowledge of statistical methods for calculating averages and error bars.
  • Experience with graphing data, particularly using semi-log paper for best fit analysis.
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn how to apply statistical methods for anomaly detection in datasets.
  • Research techniques for calculating and interpreting error bars in experimental data.
  • Explore graphing software or tools for plotting data and fitting curves.
  • Study the principles of energy conservation in physics to refine assumptions in calculations.
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, data analysts, and educators involved in experimental design and data interpretation related to motion and energy transfer.

THE 1
Messages
20
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Basically i have been given a set of data to analyse. The data was collected by rolling a ball of a ramp. The ramp is set on a table and the edge of the ramp is parralel to the table. The ball then travels through the air until it hits a piece of carbon paper. The vertical displacement is then measured and recorded in relation to the horizontal displacement which is the spacing from the edge of the ramp to the board with the carbon paper on. This is the data that i have been given.
x
0.100 2.0 6.5 10.0 14.0 14.5
0.200 18.5 48.5 53.5 51.0 47.0
0.300 57.0 60.0 64.5 90.5 94.5
0.400 118.5 134.5 160.5 168.0 159.0
0.500 210.5 228.0 228.0 217.0 241.0
0.600 336.0 394.5 356.0 348.5 392.5
0.700 447.0 501.0 514.0 558.0 532.5
0.800 587.5 683.0 714.0 601.0 605.5

the first colum is the horizontal displacement in meters the other 4 colums are the 5 tests carried out with the horizontal displacement at the set value. These are the different vertical displacments in mm from that horizontal displacment.

Basically iIknow that there are a lot of anomolies in the data and I want to remove them so I can produce an accurate average.

Homework Equations



Im not sure if this would help but i produced an equation to work out the vertical displacement at different horizontal displacements. y being the vertical displacement and x being the horizontal displacement. I also assumed that all potential energy is converted into kinetic energy which is obviously not true

y=gx^2/2v^2 g being the the value for the gravitational field strength 3. The Attempt at a Solution [/b

I first tried to remove the anomolies visually from the table removing the ones which didnt seem to fit with the other ones but this gave me a terrible average graph which wasnt smooth at all. At the moment I am trying to use the formulas to work out error bars but as i have mad the assumption that all potential energy is converted into kinetic this doesn't work.

Help would be much appreciated Thanks J
 
Physics news on Phys.org
have you got a statistical calculator? If not I would try plotting the means along with error bars on semi-log paper. try to get a best fit, and see what the slope is.