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
- Choose a specific time interval in the animation, that is, specific
starting and stopping times.
- Read the ball's velocity at the starting time and again at the
stopping time.
- Divide the change in velocity by the time it takes to undergo that
change.
- Does it make any difference whether you study the ball on the way
down or the way up?
- How does gravity on this planet compare to Earth's gravity?
|
Reference
See Walker, Section 2-7
|
Illustration written by Steve Mellema
|
|