PhysicsLAB: Test Scenario: Video Analysis of Inclined Planes

This video, copyrighted by Peter Bohacek ISD 197, is offered on the YouTube channel physics4chs. It was posted online on Sep 10, 2015 and shows a ball rolling down an inclined plane. The position of the ball was analyzed using screenshots. The recording rate of the video was 480 frames per seconds. Each screen capture includes the instantaneous frame number and the ball's position.

The position and frame number data is summarized in the following table.

Refer to the following information for the next seven questions.

(a) Complete the second data table (position vs cumulative time). The first three rows in the table have been started to show you the pattern.

(b) Construct a graph (scaled as large as possible) of position (cm) vs cumulative time (sec).

Provide a title and scale for each axis.
Plot each data point.
Sketch in a smooth curve connecting the points.

At this point, you know that the ball:

started from rest in frame #26,
had a total displacement of 100 cm, and
from part (b) the total amount of time spent rolling down the incline

(d) Calculate its acceleration down the incline.

(e) Complete a free body diagram (FBD) of the forces acting on the ball as it rolled down the inclined plane.

(f) Calculate the inclined plane’s angle of inclination, θ.

(g) If data was re-collected a second time using a more massive ball (but having the same radius) on the exact same incline would the magnitudes of the second ball’s final velocity and acceleration have been smaller, the same as or larger than those determined in the first run of the experiment? That is would the mass of the ball have affected your results?