Research Question:
This experiment investigates the effect the mass of a falling object has on its terminal
velocity.
The terminal velocity will be calculated by identifying when the falling object achieves
terminal velocity (when acceleration is zero) and then applying the following
equation:
s
v=
t
Among the variables above, displacement and terminal velocity will be dependent on
time which is an independent variable.
Methodology:
Table 1 – Variables Table:
Variable Description Details
Mass Independent Variable The mass of the falling
object changes from trial
to trial and is incremented
by 0.0005 kg
Time Independent Variable The time it takes for the
falling object to clear a
measured displacement –
Isn’t affected by
dependent variables
Displacement Dependent Variable The displacement of the
falling object was
measured in order to
calculate terminal velocity
Terminal Velocity Dependent Variable The terminal velocity is
the topic of this report’s
investigation and it was
calculated from the time
and displacements
provided by the trials
Surface Area Control Variable The air resistance acting
on the object doesn’t
change
Acceleration Control Variable The object’s acceleration
is controlled
Figure 1 – Video Processing
Raw Data:
Table 2 – Displacement-Time Table of Falling Object:
t/ s/
±0.01s ±0.001m
0.20 0.034
0.23 0.061
0.27 0.119
0.30 0.168
0.33 0.247
0.37 0.317
0.40 0.380
0.43 0.483
0.47 0.556
0.50 0.627
0.53 0.717
0.57 0.810
0.60 0.887
0.63 0.958
The table above contains data from the 0.002 kg test. The table was then processed
into the following graph:
Displacement-Time Graph of a falling object
1.200
1.000
0.800
s/±0.001m
0.600
0.400
0.200
0.000
0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70
t/±0.01s
Figure 2 – Displacement Time Graph of Falling Object (0.002 kg)
Processed Data:
Figure 2 was then analysed for a region of terminal velocity using a line of best fit,
procuring the following graph:
Displacement-Time Graph of a Falling Object
1.200
1.000
0.800
s/±0.001m
0.600
0.400
0.200
0.000
0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70
t/±0.01s
Figure 3 – Displacement Time Graph of a Falling Object (0.002 kg) with Line of Best
Fit
The data from t = 0.43 and onwards was identified to be the object’s terminal
velocity. This is because terminal velocity is when an object achieves uniform
velocity (0 acceleration) due to the balance between gravitational acceleration and
fluid resistance. This region of terminal velocity was separated and the data was
used to make the following table:
Table 3 – Terminal Velocity Table from t = 0.43
t/ s/
±0.01s ±0.001m
0.43 0.483
0.47 0.556
0.50 0.627
0.53 0.717
0.57 0.810
0.60 0.887
0.63 0.958
Table 3 was then processed to make the following graph:
The Terminal Velocity of Falling Object (0.002
kg)
1.200
1.000
s/±0.001m
f(x) = 2.43046649227492 x − 0.57658187061124
0.800 R² = 0.998348901710151
0.600
0.400
0.200
0.000
0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65
t/±0.01s
Figure 4 – Terminal Velocity Graph of a Falling Object (0.002 kg)
This same processed was repeated to 5 times more to different sets of raw data to
create the table below:
Table 4 – Table Containing Data from All Trials:
Test # Mass/±0.0001kg Terminal Velocity/±0.0001m s−1
1 0.0005 1.3686
2 0.0010 2.1242
3 0.0015 2.3772
4 0.0020 2.4305
5 0.0025 2.535
6 0.0030 2.634
Uncertainties
The tool error for mass was set according to the specificity provided by the balances
used, the same applies to velocity, displacement and time as this was the degree of
accuracy provided by the Tracker motion capture software.
Evaluation – Part 1:
To answer the research question, according to the data that was collected, the mass
of a falling object is directly proportional to its terminal velocity. Conceptually, the
physics behind the concept of terminal velocity stem from Newton’s first law of
motion, it states that an object will stay at a uniform velocity unless compelled to
change that state by an external force (NASA Glenn Research Centre, 2022).
Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity an object can reach when falling through a
fluid medium, such as air or water, due to the equilibrium of gravitational force and
fluid resistance.
Figure 5 illustrates a falling object accelerating through the air as gravity is stronger
than air resistance while Figure 6 portrays the free body diagram of a falling object
under terminal velocity. Linking this to the investigation’s findings, terminal velocity
can be observed in the Figure 3 motion graph where the graph becomes linear (and
therefore constant velocity) at approximately t ≈ 0. 43. This is because gradient on a
y
displacement-time graph procures velocity, m= and the x and y axes denote
x
s
displacement and time so therefore m= =v . This section of Figure 3 (the most
t
linear part) is derived and used in Figure 4 which displays the terminal velocity. The
equation of this line is s=2.4305t−0.5766. As aforementioned, the coefficient of t
represents the terminal velocity ( 2.4305 ms−1) , the intercept however, is less useful to
the investigation. It denotes the displacement of the falling object at t=0 assuming
that the falling object travelled at 2.4305 ms−1 throughout the entire duration of the
motion graph (Linear Motion, n.d.).
Evaluation – Part 2:
The following table contains data from all trials taken with varying masses:
Table 4:
Test # Mass/±0.0001kg Terminal Velocity/±0.0001m s−1
1 0.0005 1.3686
2 0.0010 2.1242
3 0.0015 2.3772
4 0.0020 2.4305
5 0.0025 2.535
6 0.0030 2.634
The relationship between terminal velocity and mass is complex but can be
qualitatively described. When considering the data for every mass, there is a clear
pattern established, as mass increases, so does terminal velocity. The relationship
between terminal velocity and mass can be understood by considering the forces
involved (Cognito, 2019). In general, for objects with greater mass, the gravitational
force pulling them downward is greater. Therefore, a larger mass object requires a
stronger fluid resistance (which takes a longer time to obtain) to balance the
gravitational force and achieve terminal velocity. Consequently, larger objects with
greater mass have higher terminal velocities.
The data collected in this investigation doesn’t fully represent the physical theory of
terminal velocity since surface area was a controlled variable. As a result of this, it is
crucial to remember that the relationship between terminal velocity and mass is not
directly proportional. The fluid resistance experienced by an object depends on its
surface area. Objects with larger surface areas experience greater fluid resistance,
which can offset the effect of mass. For instance, a larger but lighter object with a
larger surface area might experience a similar terminal velocity to a smaller but
denser object with a smaller surface area.
Evaluation – Part 3:
The frame-by-frame analysis of the footage of the falling object was captured at 30
frames per second. This can lead to inaccuracies due to the limitations of temporal
resolution. With only 30 frames per second, there is a finite number of frames
available to capture the entire duration of the fall, potentially resulting in missed or
misrepresented details. Additionally, the low frame rate also caused motion blur,
which made it difficult to perfectly identify and track the falling object.
These inaccuracies can be observed by this discrepancy: despite the fact that mass
increased in a very consistent and linear fashion, increases to terminal velocity were
extremely imprecise, changing greatly with each test recorded. For example,
terminal velocity between tests 1 and 2 increased by approximately 0.756. Terminal
velocity between test 2 and 3 increased by approximately 0.253. To mitigate these
inaccuracies, higher frame rates or slow-motion techniques capturing more frames
per second should be employed for more accurate analysis.
Bibliography
Cognito. (2019, December 8). GCSE Physics - Terminal Velocity #55 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCDfNkcGhDM
Linear Motion. (n.d.). StudySmarter UK. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/physics/mechanics-and-materials/linear-motion/
NASA Glenn Research Center. (2022, October 27). Newton’s Laws of Motion - Glenn Research Center | NASA. Glenn Research Center | NASA.
https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion/#:~:text=Newton's%20First%20Law%3A
%20Inertia&text=Newton's%20first%20law%20states%20that,action%20of%20an%20external%20force.
