Name: Shanoya Williams
Date: November 26, 2025
Experiment 2- GALILEO’S Inclines Plane (MM) To STUDY UNIFORMLY
ACCELERATED MOTION USING AN INCLINED PLANE (GALILEO’S
EXPERIMENT)
Aim: To study the motion of a ball on an Inclined Plane using Galileo’s Method
Apparatus: Length of angle girder, billiard ball, pieces of wood, stop watches
Procedure:
The angle girder was arranged with a slip of wood placed beneath one end so that
the ball, when released from rest, ran slowly down the girder. Additional support
was also provided at the halfway point to keep the girder stable.
Starting from the lower end, equal unit distances of 30 cm were measured and
marked using chalk so that the marks were clearly visible to those timing.
The ball was held at the highest mark and released from rest. A countdown of “5,
4, 3, 2, 1, GO” was used before releasing the ball to ensure consistency, and care
was taken not to jerk the ball.
The time taken for the ball to reach the next mark was recorded. This was repeated
eight times and the mean time was calculated.
The procedure was then repeated, allowing the ball to roll to the second and third
marks from the top, and the corresponding times were recorded.
Results:
TABLE SHOWING RESULTS FOR GALILEOS INCLINED PANE
Distance Time Time Time Time Time Average Squar Ratio
Rolled/( of of of of of Time ed t2/d
m) Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel s avg(s) Avera (s2/m
s1(s) s2 (s) s3(s) s4(s) s5(s) ge )
time
0.20 1.81 1.93 1.91 1.79 1.91 1.87 3.50 17.50
0.40 2.98 2.93 2.86 2.85 2.88 2.90 8.14 21.03
0.60 4.21 4.06 4.23 4.04 4.10 4.13 17.04 28.40
0.80 5.30 5.26 5.38 5.33 5.35 5.32 28.30 35.38
1.0 6.30 6.33 6.38 6.37 6.40 6.40 40.45 40.45
Observation:
During the experiment, it was observed that the time taken by the ball to travel
down the inclined plane increased as the distance traveled increased. For example,
when the ball rolled a distance of 0.20 m, the average time recorded was 1.87 s,
whereas for a distance of 1.00 m, the average time increased to 6.36 s. This trend
shows a clear relationship between distance and time, indicating that the ball
accelerates as it moves down the incline.
When the squared average time (t^2) was plotted against the distance traveled, it
was noted that t^2 increased approximately proportionally with distance. This
suggests that the motion of the ball follows the principle of uniform acceleration,
as predicted by Galileo’s experiments on inclined planes. The ratio of t^2/d for
each distance showed slight variation, which can be attributed to factors such as
friction between the ball and the plane, and minor timing errors during the
measurement process.
It was also observed that performing multiple trials for each distance helped reduce
random errors and provided a more reliable average time. Overall, the data
demonstrated that the ball’s acceleration down the incline is relatively constant,
and the experimental results are consistent with the expected behavior of an object
under uniform acceleration.
Discussion:
From the experiment, it was observed that the values of the ratio t^2/d were not
exactly the same for all distances, although they generally increased proportionally
with distance. This supports the principle that the distance traveled by a body from
rest is approximately proportional to the square of the time when the acceleration is
uniform. The small differences in the t^2/d values are likely due to observational
inaccuracies, such as human reaction time when starting and stopping the timer, or
slight inconsistencies in releasing the ball, rather than an actual change in
acceleration. Among the measurements, the observations for longer distances,
especially at 1.0 m, are likely the least accurate because small timing errors are
amplified over greater distances.
When a graph of the squared average time (t^2) against distance (s) is plotted, a
straight-line graph is expected for uniform acceleration, and the experimental
graph approximates this trend. Minor deviations from uniform acceleration can be
attributed to friction between the ball and the plane, air resistance, and small
imperfections in the inclined plane.
Using the experimental data, the net acceleration of the marble along the plane was
calculated using the relation a{net} = 2d/t^2, giving approximately 0.0494 m/s².
The angle of the incline was determined from the height and length of the plane as
\theta \approx 2.41^\circ. The constant frictional force acting along the plane was
then calculated using f{friction} = m(g \sin\theta - a{net}), which gave a value of
approximately 0.0019 N. This small frictional force accounts for the slight
reduction in acceleration compared to the theoretical value g \sin\theta.
Source of Error:
● Air resistance
● Change of marble from previous experiment
Precautions:
● Ensure that the ball and the stopwatch stop at the same time
● The incline was ensured to be at the same level at all times
Conclusion:
The experiment showed that a ball rolling down an inclined plane accelerates
uniformly, as the distance traveled is roughly proportional to the square of the time.
Small variations in the results were due to friction and measurement errors, with
the frictional force estimated at about 0.0019 N. Overall, the results confirm
Galileo’s principle of motion on an incline.
Sources:
Determine the Rate of Acceleration Using a Water Clock and an Inclined Plane.”
PBS NOVA, PBS, Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens,
[Link]
“Galileo’s Experiment Definition.” Fiveable, Fiveable Content Team,
[Link]