Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus
PHY2048L – General Physics Lad 1
Error Analysis

Group: Max Bentata, Corina Pollini, Maria Saavedra 1/29/2015

Introduction: The error analysis experiment was to determine the acceleration of a free fall object. This experiment is also to become acquainted with types of error and statistical methods for analyzing one's data and for estimating its accuracy. It is also to determine how close is the value of acceleration to the accepted value (9.81m/s/s) when the experiment is done multiple times.
Methods: For this experiment Logger pro was used, a photogate were used to collect the data from the computer. One of the first steps was to hold the picket fence vertically just above the photogate and start collecting data for 25 trials to compare the slopes in each trial, then by making a graph velocity vs. time to discuss what the slope and intercept of the line best fit represent.
Results:

Trials
Results
1
9.68
2
9.55
3
9.75
4
9.56
5
9.56
6
9.7
7
9.71
8
9.75
9
9.63
10
9.57
11
9.61
12
9.53

Calculations:

Average of 5 trials:
Average of 25 trials:

% Error between 5 trials and 25 trials:

% Error accepted value and experimental value:

Questions:
1.) The values of the slope don’t vary much because the values affecting acceleration remain constant in every trial; while the y intercept, which represents the “release time”, varies because of “human error”, launch time different.
2.) One way to report a single value for the acceleration due to gravity based on my results is by doing an average:

3.) Generally accepted value 9.81m/
Experimental Value 9.62m/

4.) Average of 25 trials = 9.6552
This value was more precise than the other one since it was obtain from a higher