Measurement of velocity

Apparatus

Ticker timer and tape, suitable low-voltage a.c. power supply, trolley, runway, laboratory jack or stand.

Procedure

• Set up the apparatus as in the diagram.
• Connect the ticker timer to a low-voltage power supply.
• Give the trolley a small push to start it moving.
• Adjust the angle of inclination of the runway until the trolley moves with constant velocity – the spots on the tape are all equidistant.
• Note the angle of refraction r.
• Most ticker timers make 50 spots per second. Therefore the time interval between two adjacent spots is 0.02 s.
• Measure the length s of ten adjacent spaces.

• The time t is 10 × 0.02 = 0.2 s.
• As the trolley was travelling at constant velocity we can say that $v = \frac{s}{t}$
• Repeat using pushes of varying strengths.
• Tabulate results as shown.

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Measurement of velocity

Results

[Empty table with 3 columns and 3 rows]