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Re: free fall data



LUDWIK KOWALSKI says:

What you are saying, Rick, is to give up on measuring g directly and to
determine it by dividing the incline plane acceleration by sin(TET).
Yes, this is one of many indirect methods. All depends on our preferred
teaching strategies.

But, Ludwik, I think you mentioned that your goal was to discover that g is
constant, not just to measure it. The inclined air track could enable you
to discover that the acceleration is constant. Increasing the incline
doesn't change that conclusion, although the acceleration increases. Then
you can make the jump to "acceleration in free-fall is constant", and
measure g using large time intervals.

You might even see the noise turn on as the incline is increased.

Of course, this would take extra time, maybe too much.

--
--James McLean
jmclean@chem.ucsd.edu
post doc
UC San Diego, Chemistry

P.S. Isn't this basically the sequence of conclusions Gallileo went
through?