AP Physics Laboratory #1

AP Physics Laboratory #1 Measurements

DISCUSSION:

The AP Physics laboratory requires that you have a basic knowledge of a number of different measuring tools. Measuring length, mass, time, and volume accurately is a vital part of each lab exercise. In this lab, various techniques will be used to develop skills in the area of measuring. For this lab your errors should be less than 5%.

THE EXPERIMENT:

PART A

1. Using a meter stick, take 2 measurements, in centimeters of the length of the card issued to your group. Be sure to be consistent with which side you measure. Determine the average value of your measurements.

2. Repeat the measurements, this time making the measurements in inches.

3. Cut the card and repeat both sets of measurements, remember to average at least 2 measurements. Continue measuring and cutting until you have cut the card 4 times.

cm 4. Graph centimeters vs. inches. Use the slope of the graph to calculate in . Calculate the cm percentage error in your result assuming that the ratio of centimeters to inches is 2.54 in .

PART B

5. Choose a block. Use the English side of the ruler and measure the dimensions of the block. Convert any fractions to decimal value. Record your data.

6. Using the metric side of the ruler, repeat the measurements in centimeters and record the dimensions.

7. Find the average length, width, and height of the block in both systems. Use a minimum of 2 measurements for each dimension. Calculate the volume of the block in cubic centimeters and cubic inches.

8. Plot the average volume of the blocks from several groups in cubic centimeters vs. the cm 3 volume of cubic inches. Use the slope of the graph to calculate  in  . The accepted ratio of 3 3 cm 3 cm to in is 16.39 ( in ) . Find the percentage error. If results are poor, consider omitting 1 volume measurement which skews your data. Include any omissions and reasoning for omissions in your lab report.

PART C

9. Pick a metal cylinder. Measure the length and diameter of the cylinder. Be sure to make at least 3 metric measurements. Convert any measurements to meters.

10. Use the average radius and length to calculate the volume of the cylinder.

11. Find the mass of the cylinder using the triple-beam balance. Convert to kilograms. 12. Calculate the density of the cylinder in kg/m3. PART D

13. Determine a procedure to determine the density of a clay sphere.

14. Record your procedure and determine the density of the clay given to your group.

ANALYSIS:

In addition to any necessary data, measurements and calculations from the experiment itself include the following in your lab report.

15. Using the internet, determine the materials of the cylinder whose density you calculated in Part C.

16. Consider Part D of the experiment. What could you have done differently with the clay to make the determination of density easier? Explain why it would have helped.