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Science 122
Laboratory
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Lab 6 is about Galileo's studies on the inclined plane. This lab will require you
to use the skills and concepts from the previous three labs: graphing, measurement,
and motion.
In this lab you will test three of Galileo's findings. This lab presents them
in the form of three hypotheses which are easily testable using our modern knowledge
of graphing, and with our modern timing equipment which allows us to measure time
to the nearest one-hundredth of a second.
There are three hypotheses to be tested.
- HYPOTHESIS A: Distance is directly proportional to the square
of time if acceleration is uniform.
- HYPOTHESIS B: Rate of acceleration is proportional to incline
of ramp.
- HYPOTHESIS C: Objects will reach the same speed from a given height
regardless of steepness of incline.
To test these hypotheses you will consider and manipulate four
variables. You will change each of three and find its effect on the others.
- steepness of the incline
- distance rolled down the ramp
- height from which the rolling begins
- time
Go to the lab.