Velocity Lab Investigation

In this lab we tested the velocity of falling objects. There were a lot of variables in the lab, such as different objects, different heights, and different ways of collecting data. We used both a ping pong ball and a golf ball, both having the same mass but different weight. We dropped the two objects from heights of 1 meter, 2 meters, and 3 meters, and we collected the data first the old fashioned way, then with vernier software. I had thought that the velocity would increase as height increased, lets see if I was right: Results: 1 meter: Golf ball .45 seconds to hit the ground, V = 2.22, ping pong ball, .51 seconds to hit the ground, V = 1.96. 2 Meter: Pong time .57, V = 1.75, golf time .58 V = 1.35. 3 meter: Golf - .74 seconds V = 1.35, Pong - .79, V = 1.27. *Here is a little diagram of what the experiment was, and what was used in it. *Nandu dropping the gold ball as I time the drop in the background. In the motion sensor test, we (or it) pretty much failed. The data seemed very inaccurate and skewed, it was very effected by noise, and we couldn't tell which jumps in the graphs was actually the ball falling. We also were tight on time. Out of many different little errors that could have occurred during a lab, this was a pretty big one. In the end, I was actually dead wrong. The velocity actually got slower as the distance got greater. Im not sure if it was human error, or thats how it really worked out. This lab probably would have worked out better with the sensor if everything was quiet and the sensor itself wasn't quite so sensitive.