Investigating Gravity Quick Check
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Question
Use the table of data from an investigation to answer the question.
Mass of ball (grams) Time to hit ground (seconds)
10 1.02
15 1.01
26 1.62
A student is investigating gravity and falling objects. She drops three balls and times how long it takes each ball to hit the ground. What is the most likely source of error?
(1 point)
Responses
She did not measure the circumference of the balls.
She did not measure the circumference of the balls.
She used balls that are different sizes.
She used balls that are different sizes.
She did not measure the mass after the balls hit the ground.
She did not measure the mass after the balls hit the ground.
She dropped the balls from different heights.
She dropped the balls from different heights.
She used balls that are different sizes.
The most likely source of error in this investigation is that the student used balls that are different sizes.
To answer this question, we need to analyze the given data. The student dropped three balls and recorded the time it took for each ball to hit the ground. The data also includes the mass of each ball.
Looking at the options provided, we can eliminate a few of them based on the information given. The option stating that she did not measure the circumference of the balls is irrelevant to the investigation of gravity and falling objects, so we can disregard that option.
Now, let's consider the remaining options. The option suggesting that she used balls that are different sizes could potentially be the most likely source of error. Gravity affects all objects equally regardless of their size or mass. However, when conducting an investigation, it is important to control all variables except for the one being studied. To eliminate size as a variable, she should ideally use balls that are the same size but have different masses.
The last option states that she did not measure the mass after the balls hit the ground. This option also raises a concern because the time it takes for an object to fall is influenced by its mass due to gravity. However, the given data includes the mass of each ball, so it seems that mass was actually measured before the balls were dropped.
Based on the given data, the most likely source of error is that she used balls that are different sizes. By using balls of different sizes, she introduced an additional variable that could potentially affect the time it took for the balls to hit the ground. To ensure accurate results, she should have used balls of the same size but with different masses to isolate the effect of mass on falling time.
Therefore, the correct answer is: She used balls that are different sizes.