Finding Acceleration from Ticker Tape

Finding Acceleration

Acceleration of motion can be determined by using ticker tape through the following equation:

Caution!:
t is the time taken from the initial velocity to the final velocity.

Example:

The ticker-tape in the figure above was produced by a toy car moving down a tilted runway. If the ticker-tape timer produced 50 dots per second, find the acceleration of the toy car.

Answer:
In order to find the acceleration, we need to determine the initial velocity, the final velocity and the time taken for the velocity change.

Initial velocity,
u = s/t
u = 3cm/0.02s
u =150cms −1

Final velocity,
v = s/t
v = 0.5cm/0.02s
v =25cms−1

Time taken for the velocity change,
t = (0.5 + 4 + 0.5) ticks = 5 ticks
t = 5 × 0.02s = 0.1s

Acceleration,

Example:

A trolley is pushed up a slope. Diagram above shows ticker tape chart that show the movement of the trolley. Every section of the tape contains 5 ticks. If the ticker-tape timer produced 50 dots per second, determine the acceleration of the trolley.

Answer:
In order to find the acceleration, we need to determine the initial velocity, the final velocity and the time taken for the velocity change.

Initial velocity,
u= s/t
= 5cm/0.1s
=50cms−1

Final velocity
v= s/t
= 1cm/0.1s
=10cms−1

Time taken for the velocity change,
t = (2.5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 2.5) ticks = 20 ticks
t = 20 × 0.02s = 0.4s

Acceleration,