Lab Section: ______

Name: ______________________________

Lab Instructor: ______________________________

Grade: ______

Lab Unit # 4 Pre-lab Questions: Dynamics of 1-D Motion

1. A rock is dropped from rest in a vacuum. The only force acting on the rock is its weight.
(a) What is the rocks acceleration (magnitude and direction) while falling ()?

a = ____________________.
Please draw and label the relevant free-body diagram for this situation:

Suppose instead the rock were tossed upwards in a vacuum, i.e., given an initial upward velocity.
(b) After the rock is released, what is its acceleration (magnitude and direction) while it is
rising ()?

a = ____________________.
(c) What is the rocks acceleration (magnitude and direction) at the instant it comes to rest
momentarily at the top of its motion?

a = ____________________.
2. A ball is dropped from rest in air. In addition to its weight, the ball experiences a constant upward
force due to the air equal in magnitude to 1 5 of the balls weight.
(a) What force could this be?

____________________.

(b) What is the balls acceleration (magnitude and direction) while falling ()?

a = ____________________.
Please draw the relevant free-body diagram, and show your calculation, starting with

F
= ma :

Now the ball is tossed upwards, i.e., given an initial upward velocity. In addition to its weight, the
ball still experiences a constant upward force due to the air, equal in magnitude to 1 5 the balls
weight.
(c) What is the balls acceleration (magnitude and direction) while it is rising ()?

a = ____________________.
P1112 Lab Notes

Pre-lab 4-1

Cornell University, Spring 2014

Please draw the relevant free-body diagram, and show your calculation, starting with

F = ma :

(d) What is the balls acceleration (magnitude and direction) at the instant it comes to rest
momentarily at the top of its motion?

a = ____________________.
3. Suppose instead that when the ball is moving at a certain speed, it experiences (in addition to its
weight) a force due to the air equal in magnitude to 1 5 of the balls weight, but always directed
opposite to the balls velocity through the air.
(a) What force could this be?

____________________.

(b) What is the balls acceleration (magnitude and direction) while it is rising () at this speed?

a = ____________________.
Please draw the relevant free-body diagram, and show your calculation, starting with

F = ma :

(c) What is the balls acceleration (magnitude and direction) while falling () at this speed?

a = ____________________.
Please draw the relevant free-body diagram, and show your calculation, starting with

F = ma :

4. For the rising and falling objects in questions # 1-3, which kind(s) of force due to the air (constant
upward, always opposite to objects velocity, or none) could make the magnitude of the objects
downward acceleration each value as specified below?
(a) At top: acceleration = g .

____________________.

(b) At top: acceleration < g .

____________________.

(c) While rising: acceleration < g .

____________________.

(d) While falling: acceleration < g .

____________________.

P1112 Lab Notes

Pre-lab 4-2

Cornell University, Spring 2014