What is acceleration due to gravity?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the acceleration due to gravity in the context of a specific experiment involving a ball dropped from a height. Participants are exploring the relationships between potential energy, kinetic energy, and the equations of motion related to free fall.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss using energy equations and kinematic equations to find the acceleration due to gravity. There are questions about the specific setup of the experiment and the appropriate equations to apply.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights into the experimental setup and the equations that may be relevant. There is an emphasis on understanding the relationship between distance, time, and acceleration, with some participants suggesting averaging multiple trials for accuracy.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the specific parameters of the experiment, including the height from which the ball is dropped and the timing of the fall. There is mention of varying times recorded for the drop, indicating a need for error analysis.

Scarlet_pat
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i was asked to find the acceleration due to gravity of specific experiment.
i want to know what exactly are they referring to
 
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by using PE = mgh ; PE=KE ; KE = 1/2 mv^2
solve for V ??
 
Presumably they want you to find the acceleration that some object is experiencing due to the force of gravity acting on the system.
 
in this case ... linear equation will be use to solve such question ?
 
Scarlet_pat said:
in this case ... linear equation will be use to solve such question ?

That would depend upon the system. Without knowing what the actual problem is, it's not possible to say for sure.
 
as the eletromagnet is turned off, the electric timer starts and the ball drops. when the ball hits the metal plate the timer stops. the ball falls through a distance of 65 cm before hitting the metal plate.

time to fall= 0.361s, 0.383s, 0.374s, 0.365s

Find the value for the acceleration due to gravity from this experiment.
 
Okay, so in this case it would appear that you are trying to determine the acceleration due to gravity by determining the free-fall time of an object. You're performing multiple trials, so there will some averaging and error analysis going on. But essentially, you're hoping to determine a value for g.

Do you know an equation that relates the distance an object travels to the acceleration and time?
 
of course, equation such as
x = (u +v )/2 * t
x = ut +1/2at^2
x = vt - 1/2at^2
 
Okay, so pick an equation that you think is applicable for a ball falling 65cm from rest.
 

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