Research Question: To determine the speed of a pulse in a thin metallic spring.

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Research Question: To determine the speed of a pulse in a thin metallic spring.

Variables:

  • Dependent:  Length of spring
  • Independent:  Period of pulse
  • Control: How big the pulse is

Equipment:

  • Thin metallic spring
  • Chairs(x2)
  • Stopwatch

Methodology Setup:

Methodology:

  1. Two chairs were aligned as bases, one opposite of the other with a distance of 6,49 m and a spring was attached at the end of each chair.
  2. One person operated the stop watch, while the other created the pulses. A third person wrote down the results shown in the stopwatch.
  3. The stopwatch was simultaneously operated so it would start counting when the pulse was created and stop counting when the pulse returned to the base that it started.
  4. When the stopwatch stopped counting, the results were observed and written down.
  5. The total results where 45.
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Results Table:

Distance: 6.49 m

Average Time: 1.05 ± 0.01

Speed of pulse:    

Conclusion/Discussion: 

The velocity of the pulse was calculated successfully by measuring the distance and the time taken for the pulse to travel along the thin metallic spring, then applying the formula v = s/t.

The velocity of the pulse was calculated from the data, but as the results clearly show, each attempt produced a different result, mostly because of human errors and inaccuracies.  The reaction of the time of the person operating the stopwatch would have had an effect on ...

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