Terminal velocity experiment 1 - how does air friction afffect a ball's fall?

Terminal velocity experiment 1 -
How does air friction affect a ball's fall? other worksheets
for use with materialworlds Terminal velocity simulation
© materialworlds.com 2001

This experiment you'll investigate what differences air friction makes to a falling object - first looking at how a ball falls without air friction, then introducing air friction and seeing how it makes a difference.

After you've played around with the simulation to see how it works, press the browser's "Refresh" button to reset the controls to their original settings.
Pause the simulation, rewind it, set air friction to zero and activate the "Pause on collision" and "Pause every 0.2 second" checkboxes.

1. Copy the (red) force and (blue) velocity arrows from the falling ball in the simulation onto each of the timed diagrams of the ball shown below (the simulation will pause automatically at the right times - you just need to press play to move it onto the next one). Draw the force arrows on the right hand side of each ball to clearly separate them from the velocity arrows - like this:
Also draw and label the position, force and velocity curves onto the graph.

0.02 sec
0.2 sec
0.4 sec
0.6 sec
0.8 sec
1.0 sec
1.2 sec
1.4 sec

2. Do the same again, but with air friction set to its initial value of 1.00

0.02 sec
0.2 sec
0.4 sec
0.6 sec
0.8 sec
1.0 sec
1.2 sec
1.4 sec

Answer the remaining questions on a separate sheet...

3. With zero air friction (see results of question 1):
a) What force or forces act on the ball (before it hits the ground)?
b) How do the forces on the ball change as the ball falls?
c) How does the ball velocity change as it falls?
d) Describe the shape of the ball's y position / time graph.
e) Describe and explain the energy changes that occur as the ball falls.

4. With air friction = 1.00 (see results of question 2):
a) What force or forces act on the ball (before it hits the ground)?
b) How do the forces on the ball change as the ball falls?
c) How does the ball velocity change as it falls?
d) Describe the shape of the ball's y position / time graph.
e) Describe and explain the energy changes that occur as the ball falls.

5.
Describe and explain how air friction changes the motion of the ball. 6.
a) What is terminal velocity, and why is it called "terminal" velocity?
b) In what situations does a falling object not reach a terminal velocity?

3. With zero air friction (see results of question 1): a) What force or forces act on the ball (before it hits the ground)? b) How do the forces on the ball change as the ball falls? c) How does the ball velocity change as it falls? d) Describe the shape of the ball's y position / time graph. e) Describe and explain the energy changes that occur as the ball falls.		4. With air friction = 1.00 (see results of question 2): a) What force or forces act on the ball (before it hits the ground)? b) How do the forces on the ball change as the ball falls? c) How does the ball velocity change as it falls? d) Describe the shape of the ball's y position / time graph. e) Describe and explain the energy changes that occur as the ball falls.
5. Describe and explain how air friction changes the motion of the ball.		6. a) What is terminal velocity, and why is it called "terminal" velocity? b) In what situations does a falling object not reach a terminal velocity?