Motion Lab

In this activity you will measure distance and time to determine the speed of an object.

Procedure

1. Find a hallway within the designated area in which you can work.

2. Count out 30 tiles and mark the start and finish points on the floor. Also mark off each five tiles.

3. Have one person balance their textbook on their head and walk the distance you have marked off. Record the time when the walker advances five tiles.

4. Repeat step 3 twice more so that you have three sets of data to work with.

5. From your data, calculate the average time required to advance each set of five tiles. Create a distance-time graph for the average. Remember to use a ruler, place the proper data on the proper axis, use axis labels and proper scale; also draw the straightest, smoothest plot line possible (rather than zigzag from point to point).

Questions

1. Calculate the average speed from the graph. Does this value agree with the measured value? Why or why not?

2. Compare your answers to other groups and explain any similarities and differences.

3. Scientists are always looking for relationships among variables. The following questions investigate such a relationship;
a) if the distance traveled increases and the time remains the same, what happens to the average speed?
b) if the distance traveled remains the same and the time increases, what happens to the average speed?
c) if the speed of travel increases and the time remains the same, what happens to the distance traveled?
d) if the speed of travel remains the same and the time increases, what happens to the distance traveled?
e) if the speed of travel increases and the distance remains the same, what happens to the time required for the trip?
f) if the speed of travel remains the same and the distance increases, what happens to the time required for the trip?

4. The relationship between two variables may be a direct variation (when x increases, y increases) or it may be an inverse variation (when x increases, y decreases). Use these terms to describe the relationship between
a) speed and distance
b) speed and time
c) distance and time