A picket fence free fall lab is a physics experiment that involves measuring the time it takes for a picket fence to fall a certain distance. The goal of this experiment is to determine the acceleration due to gravity, which is a fundamental physical constant that describes the way objects fall under the influence of gravity.
To perform the picket fence free fall lab, you will need a picket fence, a stopwatch, a meter stick, and a way to measure the height of the picket fence's fall. To begin the experiment, you will need to set up the picket fence on a stand or other support so that it is suspended in the air. You should then measure the height of the picket fence's fall using the meter stick or other measuring device.
Next, you will need to start the stopwatch and release the picket fence. As the picket fence falls, you should continue to time its descent using the stopwatch. When the picket fence reaches the ground, you should stop the stopwatch and record the time.
After you have completed the picket fence free fall lab, you can use the data you have collected to calculate the acceleration due to gravity. To do this, you will need to use the equation for free fall, which is:
a = g = (2 * d) / (t^2)
where "a" is the acceleration due to gravity, "g" is the acceleration due to gravity, "d" is the distance the picket fence fell, and "t" is the time it took for the picket fence to fall.
By plugging in the values you measured for "d" and "t," you can calculate the acceleration due to gravity. You should expect your result to be close to the accepted value for the acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared.
Overall, the picket fence free fall lab is a simple and effective way to measure the acceleration due to gravity and learn more about the way objects fall under the influence of gravity. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily perform this experiment and gain a better understanding of the physical world around you.
