1C20.20 - Free-Fall - Time Intervals

Code Number:
1C20.20
Demo Title:
Free-Fall - Time Intervals
Condition:
Fair
Principle:
Acceleration Due to Gravity
Area of Study:
Mechanics

Disclaimer

Equipment:
Washers or Weights Tied to Fishing Line at Prescribed Intervals.
Procedure:

Washers or lead weights are tied to a fishing line at intervals of 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, etc.  Pull the line over a high pulley until all the washers are off the ground.  When released the sound of the washers hitting the ground will occur at equal intervals.

References:
  • Jochen Kuhn, Patrik Vogt, and Florian Theilmann, "Going nuts: Measuring Free-Fall Acceleration by Analyzing the Sound of Falling Metal Pieces", TPT, Vol. 54, #3, Mar. 2016, p. 182. 
  • Oliver Schwarz, Patrik Vogt, and Jochen Kuhn, "Acoustic Measurements of Bouncing Balls and the Determination of Gravitational Acceleration", TPT, Vol. 51, #5, May 2013, p. 312.
  • J. A. White, A. Medina, F. L. Roman, and S. Velasco, "A Measurement of g Listening to Falling Balls", TPT, Vol. 45, #3, Mar. 2007, p. 175.
  • Tom Callaway and James Dennis, "Listening to Free Fall with the MacRecorder", TPT, Vol. 32, #2, Feb. 1994, p. 88.
  • David L.D. Green and David T. Hartney, "Newton's Truck: Determining Mass and Finding 'g' by Pushing a Truck Across a Parking Lot", TPT, Vol. 26, #7, Oct. 1988, p. 448.
  • R.D. Edge, "String and Sticky Tape Experiments", TPT, Vol. 16, #4, Apr. 1978, p. 233, also A Potpourri of Physics Teaching Ideas - Mechanics, p. 80.
  • Wolfgang Rueckner and Paul Titcomb, "An Accurate Determination of the Acceleration of Gravity for Lecture Hall Demonstration", AJP, Vol. 55, #4, Apr. 1987, p. 324.
  • J. Fort, "Energy Conservation Can Predict Intervals of Time", Physics Education, Vol. 40, #4, July 2005, p. 321.
  • Richard Berg, "Improvement on the Multiple Ball Drop Demonstration", PIRA Newsletter, Vol. 8, #2, Sept/Oct. 1993, p. 12.
  • "M-094. Sinkers on Pan", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Mb-12. Time Intervals of Fall", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • Meiners, "M-84. Free Failing Bodies", Physics Demonstration Experiments, p. 40.
  • R. D. Edge, "Experiment 1.22 - Acceleration Due to G", String & Sticky Tape Experiments, p. 1.22.
  • Charles Taylor, 1.21-1.22:The Art and Science of Lecture Demonstration, p. 46.
  • Borislaw Bilash II and David Maiullo, "Falling Together", A Demo a Day: A Year of Physics Demonstrations, p. 29 - 30.
  • Borislaw Bilash II, “Falling Down“, A Demo A Day – A Year of Physical Science Demonstrations, p. 214.

Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist.  The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose.  The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources.  Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks.  These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage.  Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.