Constant Velocity Lab
Measure time and distance to determine the speed of a moving object
0.000 s
Your calculated speed
— m/s
Investigation: Measuring constant velocity
- Set the marker distance (this is like placing a ruler or measuring tape)
- Press Launch object to start the object moving
- Press Start timer exactly when the object crosses the start line (left edge)
- Press Lap at marker when the object reaches the marker flag
- Calculate: speed = distance ÷ time
- Record your data and try different marker distances
- Try to determine the hidden speed of the object!
Data table
| Trial | Distance (m) | Time (s) | Speed = d/t (m/s) | Check |
|---|
Distance–time graph
Questions
- What shape is the distance–time graph for constant velocity?
- What does the gradient of a distance–time graph represent?
- Why might your measured speed differ slightly between trials? (Think about reaction time)
- How could you improve the accuracy of your measurement?
- A car travels at a constant 60 km/h. How far does it travel in 2.5 hours? Convert this to m/s.