Constant Velocity Vs. Constant Acceleration

In class, we did a lab about comparing constant velocity to constant acceleration and learning the difference between the two. The purpose of this lab was to learn how to implement what we learned about acceleration and velocity in class, into real life examples. We also learned how to use lines to determine acceleration and use the equation of a line (y=mx+b) and solve things in physics. 

After this lab, I learned that the difference between constant velocity and constant acceleration is that constant velocity is when something is moving at a constant speed. Constant acceleration is when the object or person is moving at a constant rate. Constant velocity can relate to the hovercraft post I wrote about here. Constant acceleration can be for example: a ball rolling down a hill, at a constant rate of 4 m/s (squared) which means that it will keep doing that until it reaches its stopping point. 

The group that I was in and I, conducted this lab by using a large marble to see the constant velocity on a straight table. We measured every 1/2 second by marking the table with chalk. Then we realized that they had about equal distances; the differences were usually off my 1 or 2. 
Then we put the table at an incline and rolled the ball again. We had predicted the faster the ball went, the further apart the distances between each 1/2 second would get. We were right. These two takes of data, helped us realize the difference between constant velocity and constant acceleration. 

This picture (found on Google) is proving our project.

I found out that constant velocity and constant acceleration relate in two ways which are inversely related. If something has a constant velocity, it cannot have a constant acceleration and if something has a constant acceleration, it cannot have a constant velocity.

In this lab, we found out that there are two formulas that will help us figure out constant acceleration and constant velocity. To solve for constant velocity we used the formula v= d/t. To solve for constant acceleration we use the formula a= change in velocity/time.

The lines in a graph for constant acceleration and constant velocity compare to each other because they have a straight line and based on the time, they are most likely spread apart evenly. But for constant acceleration, they spread further apart when it is going faster.

I used the graph I created and the equation for a line (y=mx+b) to support my data because when I explain that the lines were spread equally apart, I was able to see on Excel, that they were even. Same thing for when they were spreading further apart. 

The key important things I learned in this lab that will help me in the future are:

• How to use the equation of a line
• How to graph lines
• How to use excel to prove my data
• The difference between constant velocity and constant acceleration