Colby Wyatt

Ryland Tuttle and Sam Tinlin

February 2, 2015
Swing Your Stopper Round and Round
Beginning Question
What is the mathematical and graphical representation between the velocity of a stopper
compared to the radius of its travel?
The relationship between the distance traveled and the time it took the Vernier car to travel will
be a direct relationship.
Materials

One strand of fishing line

One pen tube
One rubber stopper
Metal washers, varying in weight
One paper clip
One black sharpie
One iPhone timer
One meter stick
One scale

Procedure
First, we collected the materials necessary for this lab. We then took the washers and weighed
them on the scale to make sure they weighed in between 100 and 200 grams. After weighing
the washers, we took the paper clip and stretched it out so it went through all of the washers.
Then we tie it into a hook so it could hook onto the fishing line. Next, we took the pen tube and
slid it on to the fishing line, then attached the washers and paper clip at the other end from the
stopper. Once establishing our system, we went outside. Once outside, using the black sharpie,
we made marks on the fishing line starting at 10 cm away from the stopper going to 100 cm
making marks every 10 cm. After making all the lengths we will measure, we got ready to test.
With one person recording the data, one person using the timer, and one person swinging the
cork, we began our data recording, For each measurement, we did three trials of how long it
would take for the cork to go around 10 revolutions. When spinning the cork in circles, we made
sure to only have a hand around the pen tube and not on the line, and when stopping the
rotation to pull the pen tube upwards towards the stopper to decrease its circumference and
speed.

Data, Observation, Calculations

Recorded Data
Radius
(cm)

Trial 1
(s/10 rev)

Trial 2
(s/10 rev)

Trial 3
(s/10 rev)

10

2.16

3.06

2.61

20

3.08

2.94

3.33

30

3.08

3.44

3.56

40

3.75

3.91

3.74

50

4.34

4.75

4.40

60

4.56

4.78

4.81

70

5.21

5.01

5.21

80

5.45

5.28

5.58

90

5.68

5.70

5.74

100

5.94

6.10

6.06

Calculated Data
Radius
(cm)

Average
Time (s/10
rev)

Average
Time
(s/rev)

Circumfere
nce
(cm)

Velocity
(cm/s)

Velocity
(m/s)

Velocity2
(m/s2)

10

2.64

.264

62.831

237.996

2.37996

5.664

20

3.11

.311

125.664

404.064

4.04064

16.327

30

3.36

.336

188.496

561.000

5.61000

31.472

40

3.80

.380

251.327

661.387

6.61387

43.743

50

4.46

.446

314.159

699.686

6.99686

48.956

60

4.72

.472

376.991

798.710

7.98710

63.794

70

5.14

.514

439.823

855.687

8.55687

73.220

80

5.43

.543

502.655

925.700

9.25700

85.692

90

5.70

.570

565.487

992.082

9.92082

98.423

100

6.03

.603

628.319

1041.988

10.41988

108.574

Sample Calculations
Average Time (s/10rev):
10cm- T1:2.26/ T2:3.06/ T3:2.61
2

2.26+3.03+2.61= 7.93
7.93/3= 2.64 s/10rev
Average Time(s/rev):
10cm- 2.64 seconds/10 revolutions
2.64s/10rev=.264 s/rev
Circumference(cm):
C=2r
C=2(10 cm)
C=62.831 cm
Velocity(cm/s):
V= cm/s or C/t
V= 62.831 cm/ .264 s/rev
V= 237.996 cm/s
Velocity(m/s)
V= m/s or (cm/s)/100
V= (237.996 cm/s)/ 100
V= 2.37996 m/s
Radius(cm) vs Velocity(m/s)

Radius(cm) vs Velocity^2(m/s^2)

The correlation of the graph shows that our data was consistent throughout all measurements
and trials and that the length of the radius has an affect on the velocity an object has.
Claims and Evidence
In this lab, we found the formula for circular motion:
Centripetal force= mv^2/r
Centripetal force is the net force of circular motion.
The m represents the amount of mass the object has.
The v^2 represents the velocity of the object squared.
The r represents the radius of the object.
We discovered the formula while graphing our data when we saw there was a higher correlation
when squaring the velocity.

Errors and Improvements

Two errors we found while doing this lab was that it is almost impossible to perfectly time the
stopper for 10 revolutions due to the velocity it has and the human eye not being able to know
exactly when 10 revolutions ends because of that velocity, and also that since we did the
experiment outdoors, the stopper could have been affected by air resistance and wind. To
improve on these errors, we could have used a motion detector to follow the stopper and tell us
exactly after it had gone through 10 revolutions, and we could have done the testing indoors to
reduce the effect of air resistance.

Readings and Reflections

My idea of the relationship between the radius of an object and its velocity changed greatly
throughout the completion of this lab and the readings I encountered afterwards. In learning that
the force on the object was centripetal force, I saw that the stopper always had unbalanced
forces directing it in towards the object, allowing it to continue in a circle as long as force was
being applied to the system. Without this force, the object would continue in a straight line
instead. Also in the reading and from the lab, I learned that force the net force to be considered
centripetal force, there always has to be a force tension applying force to the object at view. By
releasing the force tension, whether that be the rope breaking or the anchor the tension being
released, the object cannot continue its circular motion and will continue in a straight line.
Works Cited
Centripetal Force - The Real Force. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/physics/phys06/bcentrif/default.htm
Centripetal Force. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/cf.html