Experiment 3 The Stopwatch In this experiment you will investigate error and uncertainty involved with using a stopwatch Materials 1 Marble Stopwatch Constant Drop Height Ex Table Top or Door Frame You Must Provide Procedure 1 Choose a place or object like a table top or top of a door from which you can constantly drop a marble at the same height Note Choosing an object that has a higher drop distance will be easier to time than shorter drop distances 2 Read the directions that come with your stopwatch to become familiar with how to use and access the stopwatch mode 3 Hold the marble at the designated drop height in one hand and the stopwatch in the other hand If necessary a willing participant can help with timing or dropping the marble 4 Drop the marble from the designated drop height and start the stopwatch at the same time 5 Stop the stopwatch at the same time the marble hits the floor Record the time in Table 3 6 Repeat Steps 3 4 four more times for a total of five trials Table 3 Time Data for Dropped Marble 2014 eScience Labs LLC All Rights Reserved Drop Trial Time s 1 0 90 s 2 0 72 s 3 0 63 s 4 0 87 s 5 0 75 s Post Lab Questions 1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a stopwatch to measure time 2 What are sources of uncertainty when using a stopwatch 2014 eScience Labs LLC All Rights Reserved
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