Light gates

• What is the purpose of light gates in the experiment described?

  To measure the time of fall of a ball using two light beams
• How does the timer start and stop in the light gate method?

  The timer starts when the ball interrupts the first beam and stops when it interrupts the second beam
• What are the steps involved in measuring the acceleration of free fall using light gates?

  1. Measure the height of fall with a ruler.
  2. Record the time of fall using the stop clock.
  3. Use the formula $s =$$ut +$$\frac{1}{2}at^2$ where $s =$$h$, $u =$$0 \text{ ms}^{-1}$, and $a =$$g$ to calculate acceleration.
• What does the variable $s$ represent in the equation $s =$$ut +$$\frac{1}{2}at^2$ used in the experiment?


  $s$ represents the height of fall
• What is the initial velocity $u$ in the equation used for calculating acceleration?


  The initial velocity $u$ is 0 ms⁻¹
• What does the variable $a$ represent in the equation $s =$$ut +$$\frac{1}{2}at^2$?


  $a$ represents the acceleration due to gravity
• What is the formula used to calculate the acceleration of free fall in this experiment?

  $s =$$ut +$$\frac{1}{2}at^2$
• What is the significance of measuring the height of fall in the experiment?

  It allows for the calculation of acceleration using the time of fall
• If the height of fall is measured to be 20 cm, how would you express this in meters for calculations?

  0.2 m
• How do light gates improve the accuracy of timing in the experiment compared to manual timing methods?

  They eliminate human reaction time delays in starting and stopping the timer