In this experiment you will attempt to reproduce Galileo's results using the inclined plane. You will test three hypotheses relating to motion on an incline. You will learn to draw a "best fit" or regression line of experimental data.You will discover that reaching conclusions about motion is not as easy as it seems at first. Although you will be using an electronic stopwatch, it is not much more accurate than Galileo's water clock.
Galileo designed experiments to study accelerated motion using the inclined plane. His reasoning suggested that objects rolling down a ramp behaved similarly to objects in freefall so that he could understand freefall by studying ramps. This experiment is designed to reproduce a portion of Galileo's experiments. Galileo performed many more trials than you will, but did not have the sophisticated tools that you have to analyze the data.
He deduced that an object which is uniformly accelerated will travel a greater distance in each successive time interval such that the distance traveled is directly proportional to the square of the time.
He also discovered that the speed of a falling object depends only on the height from which it falls.
One of Galileo's contributions to the experimental method was the idea of holding one or more variable constant while noting the effect when another variable is changed.
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Answer:
In this experiment you will attempt to reproduce Galileo's results using the inclined plane. You will test three hypotheses relating to motion on an incline. You will learn to draw a "best fit" or regression line of experimental data.You will discover that reaching conclusions about motion is not as easy as it seems at first. Although you will be using an electronic stopwatch, it is not much more accurate than Galileo's water clock.
Galileo designed experiments to study accelerated motion using the inclined plane. His reasoning suggested that objects rolling down a ramp behaved similarly to objects in freefall so that he could understand freefall by studying ramps. This experiment is designed to reproduce a portion of Galileo's experiments. Galileo performed many more trials than you will, but did not have the sophisticated tools that you have to analyze the data.
He deduced that an object which is uniformly accelerated will travel a greater distance in each successive time interval such that the distance traveled is directly proportional to the square of the time.
He also discovered that the speed of a falling object depends only on the height from which it falls.
One of Galileo's contributions to the experimental method was the idea of holding one or more variable constant while noting the effect when another variable is changed.