PhysicsLAB: Test Scenario: Ball Rolling Down an Inclined Plane

Refer to the following information for the next five questions.

A group of students watched a video of a tennis ball rolling down an inclined plane. They collected the following data of time and position by stopping the video at each successive 10-cm marker.

When they graphed their data, they obtained the following graph.

After they recognized that the shape of this graph was a ___________, they proceeded to analyze their data two more times, creating two additional graphs to determine the ball’s acceleration.

Their second graph used the ball’s positions, but they modified the time data to yield a straight time. Fill in the missing column in the chart and plot their next graph. Draw in your best trend line and calculate its slope. Fill in the missing information on their graph’s axes and title.

Calculate for the slope of this line. What are its units?

Now the students calculated the coordinates for their 3rd graph, Av Velocity vs Midpoint. Their instructor calculated the first few values to get them “started” in the correct direction.

What is the relationship between the slope of their 2nd graph and the slope of their 3rd graph? Which slope was the ball’s actual acceleration? Support your answer.