How to Calculate Velocity

                                  Mindy Miller

 

 

Calculating velocity is really a simple process to understand.  To clearly explain it to you in detail, and help you learn how to reach each step and the next, I will give you an easy example:

 

·        You drop a tennis ball from 2 ft. off of the ground.

It takes the ball 1.12 seconds to hit the ground (record that time).

You would repeat this process 3 to 4 times – accurately recording all of the data.

 

·        Next, you raise the height from 2 ft. to 4ft. – repeating the same steps as before.  Then again for 6 ft., 8 ft., 10 ft., etc.

 

·        To get the average time that it takes for the ball to hit from a certain distance you would:

 

1st – Add all of the times                                                 

       from that height together                                        

       (Let’s say that 4 times have                                     

       been recorded).

2nd – Divide the sum of those answers

        by 4 (the number of data you recorded).

         This will give you the

         average time.        

 

Example:

1st step                   2nd step

1.2                        4.77/4 =1.19 ft per second

1.24

1.21                                                                                                                                                     

        +1.12

          4.77 seconds

 

                   * Repeat these steps for each of the heights.

 

                                     

·        The final step of this experiment is calculating the velocity in which the tennis ball is traveling.  Velocity is the rate at which the position changes.

To calculate the velocity you would divide the height by the average time.

For example:

          From 2 ft. the average time is 1.19

          Velocity would equal 2/1.19

          Therefore, V=2/1.19

                              =1.6 ft./sec

 

So the velocity equals 1.6 ft. per second.

 

* You would repeat that process to calculate the velocity for each of the different heights and average times.  After you have done so you will have successfully calculated average velocities.