Physlet Illustration: Acceleration Due to Gravity

 

 

Near the surface of another planet, a bouncy ball is dropped from rest. The time is shown in seconds and the velocity in cm/s. Can you determine the acceleration due to gravity on this planet?

Hints

  1. Choose a specific time interval in the animation, that is, specific starting and stopping times.
  2. Read the ball's velocity at the starting time and again at the stopping time.
  3. Divide the change in velocity by the time it takes to undergo that change.
  4. Does it make any difference whether you study the ball on the way down or the way up?
  5. How does gravity on this planet compare to Earth's gravity?

Reference

See Walker, Section 2-7


Illustration written by Steve Mellema