Sample: Physics Academy

Investigation 4A follows the instructors as they collect and compare velocity and acceleration data for carts travelling with constant acceleration. In the first demonstration, data is collected as the cart rolls down a ramp. In the second demonstration, the instructors collect data as the cart rolls up a ramp, stops, and rolls back down.

Students use a copy of the data and the analysis tools in SPARKvue to explore the relationship between acceleration and the slope of a velocity graph. Then, they use the acceleration and elapsed time data to determine the cart’s final velocity and compare it to the velocity measured during the investigation.

In investigation 4B, the instructors collect position and velocity data for a cart projected up a ramp by a spring-loaded plunger. Students use a copy of the data and the analysis tools in SPARKvue to investigate the relationship between displacement and the area under a velocity graph. Then, they test their conclusion by analyzing two non-uniform examples of motion.