Graphical Analysis 8/21/12

On todays lab we got to play around in the computer with a physics app called Graphical Analysis.  It consists of three main windows; text, data table, and graph.  We explored all three of them and then went on to opening a file that had been prepared for this lab.  It showed a graph of a function and the data used to create the graph.  We then entered our own function and it gave us a graph.  We created a title for it (Algie Bacteria) and labeled days for the y axis.  Then used anount of bacteria for x axis and played around with our units untill we were satisfied with the given graph. 






After we had completed our graphs and were comfurtable with the system we were asked to connect our lab pro (a machine used to measure motion) to the computer and load the logger Pro software. We then used a board to record positon vs. time graphs.  After a few trials we used a ball to measure free fall.  We gently tossed the ball up into the air and watched it fall while the logger pro recorded.  We had trouble at first getting a nice curve due to one of the bars from the protecting basket running through the middle of our lab pro.  Once removed we were able to get a nice curve.  We then preform a fit to the data and got a free fall of 4.894 which is around half the 9.8 amount assigned to free fall.