Purpose: The purpose and of this lab is to experiment with rolling motion and prove the

equations of rotational kinematics. S=rθ, v=rω , ωf=ωi+α, θf=θi+1/2αt2

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and ωf =ωi2 + 2αΔθ. We will also use the equations of projectile motion and the
conservation of energy in rolling motion, mgh=1/2mv2+1/2Iw2. We will also learn about
error propagation and analyze whether our result is more accurate or precise.

Equipment: Steel balls, stopwatch, two-meter stick, Vernier caliper, 500 g weights,
carbon, plumbline and digital timer.

Procedure: Raise the table with the 500 gram weights. Measure the length of the table
and the difference in heights from both sides of the table, the raised side and unraised.
Take the difference of the two to get the actual change in height. Calculate the angle of
inclination by taking the sine inverse. Measure the diameter o the ball and divide by two
to obtain the radius. Set up the digital timer at the edge of the table where the ball will fall
into the ground so the time can be recorded digitally. Also record the time that it takes
with the stopwatch for the ball to travel from one side of the table to the edge. Place a
carbon paper in the ground so the ball marks the range when it falls to the floor. Let the
ball fall ten times and take the average of the manual time, the digital time and the range.
Using all the equations of linear and rotational motion, calculate all the necessary
variables and the final linear velocity. Also calculate the uncertainty of the final velocity.
Calculate the angle through which the ball has rotated in three different ways and show
that they give the same result, except for rounding errors. This will prove that the
equations of rotational motion are self-consistent and accurate.

Data Analysis

Table length L = 1.779

Diameter of ball= 5.09 cm .0509m
Radius of ball= .02545m
Higher table L= .790m
Lower table length=.754m
Inclination angle=sin-1(.790-.754/1.779)=1.159 degrees
 Time T
(sec) 3.84 3.98 4.00 4.03 3.90 4.09 3.97 4.06 4.00 4.06

Range R
(meter) .303 .302 .303 .301 .300 .303 .304 .303 .304 .308

Time, t
(sec) .0525 .0421 .0421 .0421 .0516 .0405 .0513 .0445 .0424 .0556

Calculations:

Average time to travel down the table, T ave = 3.998 sec

Uncertainty of T ave =(T2ave-Tave2).5/(10).5= (15.99-15.98).5/(10).5=.0200 sec
Average horizontal Range= .303m

Part A

Average linear velocity of ball, V ave=L/Tave=1.779/3.998=.4449m/s

Final linear velocity of ball, VAfinal=2(L/Tave)= 2(.4449)=.8899m/s
Uncertainty of VAfinal=dvfinal=abs(-2L(dTave)/Tave2)=
(-2(1.779)(.0200)/15.98^2)=.0022
Linear accelration of ball, a=vafinal/ Tave=.8899/3.998=.2226 m/s2

Angular acceleration of ball α=a/r, .2226/.0255=8.729 rad/s^2

Final angular ball velocity, ωfinal=Vafinal/r=.8899/.0255=34.89 rad/s

Total angular distance covered by ball, θ1=L/r=1.779/.0255=69.76 radians

Total Angular Distance covered by ball, θ2=αTave2/2=

(8.730)(15.98)/2=69.75 radians

Total angular Distance covered by ball,θ3=ωfinal2/2α=34.902/((2)(8.730))=69.76 radians

 Number of turns the ball rotated through, n=θave/2pi=69.96/2pi= 11.13 rad

Part B

Final Linear velocity of ball before it leaves the table, VBfinal= .7755
R/cosø(g/2(-Rtanø + Hlower).5= .303/cos(1.159)(2(-3.03tan(1.159)+ .754).5=.7555
% Difference=100% x 2(abs)(VBfinal-VAfinal)/(VBfinal+VAfinal)= 2(.7555-.8899)/
(.7555+.8899)=16.3%
%dvAfinal=100% x dvAfinal/VAfinal=.0044/.8899=.4944%
Vftheo=(10ghDh/7).5=(10(9.8)(.036)/7).5=.7099
%Error1=100% x abs(Vftheo-VAfinal)/Vftheo=(.7099-.8899)/.7099=25.35%
%Error2=100% x abs(Vftheo-VBfinal)/Vftheo=(.7099-.7555)/.7099=6.42%
Average Time of ball blocking laser of digital timer, tave=.0464sec
Vfactual=1.097 m/s
%Error3=100% x abs(Vftheo-Vfactual)/VfActual= (.7099-1.097)/1.097=35.29%
%Error4=100% x abs(VAfinal-Vfactual)Vfactual=(.8899-1.097)/1.097=18.05%
%Error5=100% x abs(VBfinal-Vfactual)Vfactual= (.7555-1.097)/1.097=31.13%

Discussion:
In the calculation of the theoretical final velocity, the potential energy of the ball
is conserved and converted into rotational kinetic energy, since air and surface friction
are ignore in the theoretical values, the expected result shall yield the greatest result. This
is not the case in this experiment. The theoretical value is .7099 m/s . In the calculation of
the linear velocity in part A, the result is not accurate since there is an error propagated in
the manual timing of the ball.
The linear velocity was 8899m/s, this was expected to be between the velocity of
the ball before it left the table (which was calculated through the projectile motion
equations) .7755 and the theoretical velocity. But we can see that the linear velocity is the
bigger than the theoretical and final velocity A. Therefore, the timing of the ball is very
inaccurate. In the actual velocity results which was calculated by using a digital timer and
the diameter of the ball, the velocity calculated was 1.097 m/s. This is an astonishing
result because, in the actual velocity calculation, the ideal conditions are not present, that
is to say that every force slowing down the ball shall be reflected in the result, therefore it
is apparent that this value should be the least of all, to our surprise is not.
This does not mean that a new realm of physics has been discovered, it only
means that the data collected was inaccurate. A possible source of error in the calculation
of the actual velocity might have been incorrect diameter measurements and incorrect
positioning of the digital timer, since this had to be stable on the table at the height of the
radius of the ball. Again, this was not the case, the ball did not travel a straight line down
the table and so the timer was moved to meet the ball at the corner of the table. By doing
this, the rearranged height was prone to error.

Conclusion: The translational equations of kinematics are analogous to the rotational

kinematics. Since the acceleration was constant in this experiment, the rotational

kinematic equations were applied. These equaions are ω = ω0 + αt,

θ = θ0 + ω0t + ½αt2, ω2 = ω02 + 2α(θ − θ0). Although there is a significant high

percent error in the results, the equations hold true. One can notice that the errors were
merely systematic by the conductors of the experiment. Nevertheless, the velocity of a
rotating object can be calculated with the rotational kinematics equations. It is imperative
that the measurements are accurate in order to obtain accurate results.
The final velocities of part A and B have systematic errors. In part A the manual
timing contributed to the error and in part B is the friction, which is not being considered.
In the theoretical calculation also friction is ignored. It seems that the most reliable
velocity is that of the diameter over the digital time. That is to say that friction is already
included in the calculation. But this holds only true if accurate measurements are
recorded. The deviation is significantly small and does not explain the unaccounted
propagation of error.