Free fall experiment

A sphere falls freely over certain distances. The falling time is measured and evaluated from diagrams. The acceleration due to gravity can be determined.

+ This experiment is well-designed, sturdy and convenient.

+ High precision

+ Easy to use.

+ Stainless steel rod 12mm diameter, length 1m.

+ Electromagnet integrated plumb balls. 

Free fall apparatus Including:

+ Digital timer LED (option)

+ Photogate (option)

+ Stainless steel rod 12mm diameter, length 1m (01)

+ Basket (01)

+ Steel ball (01)

+ Electromagnet integrated plumb balls.

+ H-Shaped base (01)

+ Caliper  (01)

Objects of the experiments.

+ To determine the functional relationship between height of fall and falling time.

+ To determine the acceleration due to gravity.

Free fall experiment

Set up the free fall experiment like picture below:

Free fall experiment

Plug electromagnet and photogate to jack "0" and "1" (or "2") in digital timer

Free fall experiment: Rear of timer

Set photogate position on the second line in steel rod (below)

Free fall experiment: positioning photogate

Adjust H-Shaped base and photogate, so that the plumb ball rope is 1.3cm from the IR eye of photogate (Picture below)

Free fall experiment: adjusting plumb ball rope

Switch digital timer to Mode 3.

Attach steel ball to electromagnet. 

Free fall experiment: attach steel ball

Press Start/Stop button to release the ball, then press Start/Stop again to read time on digital timer.

Each position, we do three times, then take the average value.

The data table, plots below:

From the formula for free fall theory:

From the plot 2, g = 2 x 470.11 = 940.22 (cm/s2) = 9.4022 (m/s2)

Theorical value: g = 9.81m/s2

So error: 4.18%