---

3.3 Terminal velocity experiments - ticker tape experiment

(balancing forces - rolling down hill along a running board)

What do we mean by 'terminal velocity? Describe an experiment to illustrate terminal velocity?

Terminal velocity and a trolley - running board experiment

If you set up a running board and let an object like a trolley roll down it, the 'diluted' effect of gravity gets the object to roll down the incline. need simple diagram

The resistance is due to the friction of the wheels moving on the axles and the contact between the wheels and the running board.

At first it speeds up as the force of gravity exceeds the friction of the trolley movement.

The force of gravity is constant, but as the speed of the trolley increases, so does the effect of friction e.g. the wheels and axle, wheel contact with running board.

Eventually the resistive forces of friction balance the diluted gravity effect and the trolley continues moving at a constant speed.

This final maximum speed is called the terminal velocity.

You can actually demonstrate this with a ticker tape timer experiment (results illustrated above).

You attach a long piece of ticker tape to the trolley and the tape passes through a little 'ticker tape' machine that stamps a dot onto the tape every fraction of a second.

The distance between the dots gives you the relative speed - you can measure it to the nearest mm.

At the start the dots are close together at the lowest speeds, but as the trolley speeds up the distance between the dots increases.

Eventually the dots are evenly spaced at their maximum distance apart showing the terminal velocity of the trolley was reached (first at time T).

I presume you can do a similar experiment with a series of light gates to show the same effect, not as much fun though!

The above example illustrate the idea of terminal velocity, but next we consider objects falling down in a fluid due to the force of gravity (air or a liquid -  see part 3.4).

Physics notes index on acceleration of falling objects, experiments, friction, drag effects, gravity, terminal velocity

---

Keywords, phrases and learning objectives for the ticker tape experiment on terminal velocity

Be able to describe and explain an experiment to demonstrate terminal velocity of moving object using a ticker tape experiment with a trolley running down an inclined board - know the apparatus, method, and analysing the results from the ticker tape.

---

WHAT NEXT?

TOP of page

INDEX for physics notes on acceleration of falling objects, experiments, friction, drag effects and terminal velocity

INDEX of all my physics notes on FORCES and MOTION

INDEX of all my physics notes on FORCES

INDEX of all my PHYSICS NOTES

email doc brown - comments - query?

BIG website, using the [SEARCH BOX] below, maybe quicker than navigating the many sub-indexes

---

HOME PAGE of Doc Brown's Science

Basic Science Quizzes for UK KS3 science students aged ~12-14, ~US grades 6-8

Biology * Chemistry * Physics for UK GCSE level students aged ~14-16, ~US grades 9-10

Advanced Level Chemistry for pre-university age ~16-18 ~US grades 11-12, K12 Honors

Find your GCSE/IGCSE science course for more help links to all science revision notes

Use your mobile phone in 'landscape' mode?

SITEMAP Website content © Dr Phil Brown 2000+. All copyrights reserved on Doc Brown's physics revision notes, images, quizzes, worksheets etc. Copying of website material is NOT permitted. Exam revision summaries and references to GCSE science course specifications are unofficial.

Using SEARCH some initial results may be ad links you can ignore - look for docbrown

Physics notes index on acceleration of falling objects, experiments, friction, drag effects, gravity, terminal velocity