Prelim Physics Question Moving About (1 Viewer)

[superSAIyan2]

How would answer this question:

Identify an example of technology that helped you to investigate forces and outline an advantage and disadvantage of using this technology. In your answer, refer to a specific investigation that you carried out in your class. Its from last yrs HAHS half yrly.

So far we have done the following pracs - find avg speed of a basketball using stopwatches and a video which was analysed on a software called Logger Pro, finding the net force of a system using force sensors and data loggers and the force-acceleration prac using the trolley and pulley.

Which technology would be the best to write about in your opinion. I was thinking about the stopwatch and how it contributes to the accuracy of the experiment as it is somewhat sensitive but relies greatly on human reaction time. And looking at the results of the prac, human error in reaction time stuffed the class' results by a lot. lol

Other than the stopwatch i cant really think of a disadvantage in the other technologies thats significant.

 

[Rathaen]

Well how many marks is this question? From the way you've outlined it, you've pretty much already answered what the question is asking. The stopwatch is a better timekeeping device than simply counting, and has advantages over a normal watch or clock in that you can start and stop it, but errors are introduced due to its reliance on human reaction.

The question is only asking for AN example after all.