Data Analysis
Now that you have a video, you can analyze the physics of your car launch. A detailed lab report is due at the end of class on Day 4 and must contain:
Your report must be prepared in an Excel file. Use the sheets feature to keep everything organized (e.g., put your procedure and data tables in separate sheets). Your report must include all the following:
Now that you have a video, you can analyze the physics of your car launch. A detailed lab report is due at the end of class on Day 4 and must contain:
- A detailed experimental protocol with all the assumptions you used in the calculations (and why they were reasonable/necessary)
- A description of how you calculated the energy released by the Mentos/Coke reaction
- Tables and graphs for
- distance vs. time (raw data)
- velocity vs. time (calculated from the distance vs. time: v=Dx/Dt)
- acceleration vs. time (calculated from the velocity vs. time: a=Dv/Dt)
- acceleration vs. distance (combining acceleration vs. time and time vs. distance)
- mass vs. distance (optional, will require making assumptions)
- force vs. distance (F = ma)
- energy (area under the force vs. distance graph)
Your report must be prepared in an Excel file. Use the sheets feature to keep everything organized (e.g., put your procedure and data tables in separate sheets). Your report must include all the following:
- A succinct (1 sentence) description of what this lab was about.
- Your detailed procedure. Now that you've actually done the experiment, be sure to change or add anything that was wrong or missing.
- A brief (1 paragraph) description of how you calculated the energy released. Include an explanation for why you chose to stop integrating the force vs. distance graph where you did and how reliable you think your final energy number is.
- Data tables. The only cells that should contain raw numbers is the distance vs. time table. All other tables must use formulas that refer back to the raw data in the Distance vs. Time table.
- Data graphs. Include graphs of Distance vs. Time, Velocity vs. Time, Acceleration vs. Time, and Force vs. Distance. Make sure you include units and use appropriate significant figures.