Experiment 2: Kinematics of Human Motion

Laboratory Report

Abstract more. This branch of classical mechanics is

called kinematics. It may be described as the
In the experiment, four activities were
“geometry of motion” so to speak, because it
done: predicting various graphs using time
deals with the different points of references
versus displacement and time versus velocity,
or objects, and how they move regardless of
recreating the predicted graphs using the
what forces that may have acted upon them
Vernier Logger Pro, analyzing the motion of
or their masses. Certain terms such as
a person by determination of the
position, velocity and acceleration will be
instantaneous velocity, and comparing the
encountered which respectively means: the
reaction time of a person with and without
point in space where an object is currently,
distraction
the rate of change of position with respect to
For the graphs, the resulting graphs of time and rate of change of velocity with
each activity were matched with the respect to time.
predicted ones. The achieved instantaneous
Different scientist have tackled
velocity per second of the third activity was
kinematics such as Galileo, the founder of
1.68m/s,1.80m/s 1.72m/s, 1.78m/s, 1.84m/s,
modern physics, who was known to have
1.82m/s 1.84m/s, 1.92m/s, 1.88m/s,
stated that in a void, all falling objects have
1.88m/s. The reaction time of each person
the same constant acceleration. And another
was considerably slower when distracted
was Isaac Newton who gave his three laws of
compared to when not.
motion and started the “theory of gravity” all
because of an apple falling.

I. Introduction All around us, everything is at motion,

whether these are cars, people, animals or
Throughout the history of man, the study
even the heavenly bodies, thus it is important
and description of objects in motion have
to be able to study kinematics to better
been studied by different scientists from
understand and grasp these things around us
Archimedes to Sir Isaac Newton and many
as well as human motion. And through
understanding kinematics, which fall under
classical physics we may be able to
understand better different fields in modern
physics.
The objectives of this experiment are:
1.) To draw the displacement versus time
graphs and velocity versus time graphs for
uniform motion and uniformly accelerated
motion
2.) To determine one’s normal reaction time
and his reaction time while using his cell
phone
2. Theory
Kinematics is a branch of mechanics that
deals with the concepts that are needed to
describe motion, without any references to
forces that cause the motion [1]. In the
experiment, kinematics is used to describe
the movements of human motion, involving
displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
Three formulas were essential to the
experiment’s completion. They are as
follows:
Average Velocity= (∆d ⃗)/∆t
Where:
∆d ⃗ is the change in displacement
∆t is the change in time
Instantaneous Velocity=2(Ave.Velocity)
t= √(2 h/g)
Where:
t is the reaction time
h is the distance the meter stick has
fallen from the 50 cm mark to where the
meter stick is caught
g is the gravity constant, 9.8 m/s2
3. Methodology
The experiment made use of several
materials such as the meter stick, timer, and
Vernier Logger Pro. Four activities were
done in this experiment called “Kinematics
of Human Motion”.
For the first activity, the Vernier Logger
Pro was used. Predicted appearance of
displacement versus time graph, velocity
versus time graph was first sketched; a
person moving away with constant velocity
from a chosen starting point for a period of
10s. Another predicted appearance of
displacement versus time graph and velocity
versus time graph was first sketched; a
person moving toward a chosen starting point
with constant velocity for a period of 10s.
Lastly, a predicted appearance of
displacement versus time graph and velocity
versus time graph was first sketched; a
person moving away from a chosen starting
point along a straight line with increasing
speed for a period of 10s. Once these were
sketched, it was imitated and produced
through the use of Vernier Logger Pro.
For the second activity, using the
Vernier Logger Pro, two experiment files
were to be imitated. The first one is a position
versus time graph, a person is to move in
such a way that the graph of the motion will
match the graph in the experiment file, “01b
Graph Matching”. The second experiment
file is a velocity versus time graph, a person
is to move in such a way that the graph of
your motion will match the graph of the
experiment file, “01d Graph Matching”.
The third experiment, using the meter
stick, a person was tasked to walk in a
straight line for 10s starting from rest. The
distance the person travelled every second
was measured, and its total displacement
versus total time was plotted using Excel, and
the best fit line or curve was made. The
instantaneous velocity was determined at the
end of each time interval (instantaneous
velocity = 2 average velocity). The
instantaneous velocity versus time was
plotted as well, and the best fine line/curve
was made. Lastly, the motion of the person
was analyzed.
The four experiment, using the meter
stick and timer, a person was tasked to hold a
meter stick vertically at the zero mark, while
you were tasked to catch it with your thumb
and index finger (without touching the meter
stick) at the 50cm mark. The person who held
the meter stick dropped it without any
warning, and you were to catch it. The
reaction time was computed from the
formula t= √(2 h/g) where h is the distance
the meter stick has fallen measured from the
50cm mark to where you catch the meter
stick. Another procedure was done, but with
a distraction towards the person who would
catch the meter stick.
4. Results and Discussion
Activity 1
For activity one, the first pair of graphs
are to show the displacement versus time and
velocity versus time of a person moving
away with constant velocity from a chosen
starting point for a period of 10 seconds. direction, at a constant velocity. The velocity
versus time graph should show a straight
horizontal line which is greater than zero.
This would show that the velocity is constant
and a positive velocity means an object is
moving away from a certain point, or moving
in a positive direction.

The second pair of graphs are to show

Image 1. Person moving towards a chosen
starting point with constant velocity; velocity
vs. time graph (predicted)
the displacement versus time and velocity
versus time of a person moving toward a
chosen starting point with constant velocity
for a period of 10 seconds.

Image 1a. Person moving towards a chosen

starting point with constant velocity; velocity
vs. time graph

Image 2. Person moving away with constant

The displacement versus time graph
velocity from chosen starting point; velocity
should show a straight diagonal line with a
vs. time graph (predicted)
positive slope. Velocity is defined as
displacement divided by elapsed time,
therefore, the slope of a displacement versus
time graph is equal to the velocity of the
object in motion [1]. A straight diagonal line
with a positive slope would therefore
represent an object moving farther away
from a certain point, or moving in a positive
Image 2a. Person moving away with constant Image 3. Person moving away from chosen
velocity from chosen starting point; velocity starting point with increasing speed;
vs. time graph displacement vs. time and velocity vs. time
(predicted)
The displacement versus time graph
should show a straight diagonal line with a
negative slope. A straight diagonal line with
a negative slope would represent an object
moving towards a certain point, or moving in
a negative direction, at a constant velocity.
The velocity versus time graph should show
a straight horizontal line which is less than
zero. This would show that the velocity is
Image 3a. Person moving away from chosen
constant and a negative velocity means an
starting point with increasing speed;
object is moving towards a certain point or
displacement vs. time and velocity vs. time
moving in a negative direction.
The displacement versus time graph
The third pair of graphs are to show the
should show a curved line going upwards.
displacement versus time and velocity versus
This is because of the constant increase in
time of a person moving away from a chosen
velocity of the object moving away from a
starting point along a straight line with
certain point. Due to the increasing change of
increasing speed for a period of 10 seconds.
slopes in the curved displacement versus
time line, the velocity versus time graph
should show a straight diagonal line with a
positive slope. Acceleration is defined as the
change in velocity divided by elapsed time,
therefore, the slope of a velocity versus time
line is equal to the acceleration of the moving
object. A positive slope would mean that the
object is accelerating in a positive direction.

Activity 2
 For activity two, a student had to move
an object to replicate the given position
versus time graph.

Image 5. Velocity versus Time graph

According to the graph, the object starts

Image 4. Position versus Time graph
According to the graph, the object starts
1 meter from the Vernier Logger Pro and is
stationary. It soon starts to move away from
the starting point with a constant velocity
then stops moving at nearly 3 meters from the
Vernier Logger Pro. After a few seconds, the
object is to move towards the Vernier Logger
at a complete stop. After a few seconds, the
object moves away from the Vernier Logger
Pro at a constant velocity of 0.5m/s and then
stops. After a short pause, the object moves
towards the Vernier Logger Pro at a constant
velocity of 0.5m/s. Since the object is
moving in a negative direction, the velocity is
recorded as -0.5m/s.
Activity 3

Pro at a constant velocity until it is almost 2 Table 1

meters away, then stops completely.
Time Total Average Instantaneous
A student also had to move an object to (s) Displacement Velocity Velocity
1 0.84m 0.84m/s 1.68m/s
replicate a given velocity versus time graph.
2 1.80m 0.90m/s 1.80m/s
3 2.59m 0.86m/s 1.72m/s
4 3.55m 0.89m/s 1.78m/s
5 4.58m 0.92m/s 1.84m/s
6 5.47m 0.91m/s 1.82m/s
7 6.42m 0.92m/s 1.84m/s
8 7.67m 0.96m/s 1.92m/s
9 8.46m 0.94m/s 1.88m/s
10 9.39m 0.94m/s 1.88m/s Total Displacement
vs. Time
10.00
(Computations)

Displacement (m)
8.00 Total
Displacem
6.00
0.84m/1s=0.84m/s (0.84)(2) = 1.68m/s ent (m)
4.00
1.80m/2s=0.90m/s (0.90)(2) = 1.80m/s 2.00 Linear
(Total
0.00 Displacem
2.59m/3s=0.86m/s (0.86)(2) = 1.72m/s 1 3 5 7 9 ent (m))
Time (s)
3.55m/4s=0.89m/s (0.89)(2) = 1.78m/s

4.58m/5s=0.92m/s (0.92)(2) = 1.84m/s Graph 2

5.47m/6s=0.91m/s (0.91)(2) = 1.82m/s

Instantaneous
6.42m/7s=0.92m/s (0.92)(2) = 1.84m/s Velocity vs. Time
7.67m/8s=0.96m/s (0.96)(2) = 1.92m/s 1.95
Instantaneous Velocity (m/s)

1.90
8.46m/9s=0.94m/s (0.94)(2) = 1.88m/s 1.85 Instantane
ous
1.80 Velocity
9.39m/10s=0.94m/s (0.94)(2) = 1.88m/s 1.75 (m/s)

1.70
In a displacement versus time graph, the Linear
1.65 (Instantane
displacement divided by time at a certain ous
1.60
time would be equal to the instantaneous Velocity
1.55 (m/s))
velocity of the object. Instantaneous velocity 1 3 5 7 9
Time (s)
is defined as the velocity of an object at a
certain time. The change in displacement
divided by the elapsed time between two The results and graphs give proof that

points on a displacement versus time graph the walking student was slightly accelerating

would be equal to the average velocity of the due to the overall increase of instantaneous

object between those two points [2]. velocity over the period of time.

Graph 1 Activity 4
Table 2: Reaction Time with Meter Stick and then with uniformly accelerated motion

Student Reaction Reaction were reproduced based on predicted graphs

time (s) Time (s) drawn prior to using the Vernier Logger Pro.
with
distraction Also using the Logger Pro, position vs. time
Ella 0.175s 0.263s and velocity vs. time graphs were
Ian 0.212s 0.316s
reproduced.
Michael 0.202s 0.256s
Sasha 0.221s 0.306s
The displacement of a student walking in
a straight line for 10 seconds was measured
(Sample Computations)
with a meter stick. The data and graphs
2(0.15) showed that the student was slowly
𝑡1𝑎 = √ 9.8
= 𝟎. 𝟏𝟕𝟓𝐬

2(0.34)
accelerating.
𝑡1𝑏 = √ 9.8
= 0.263s
The normal reaction time of the students
2(0.22)
𝑡2𝑎 = √ 9.8
= 𝟎. 𝟐𝟏𝟐𝒔 was determined and then compared with the
2(0.49) reaction time while they were distracted.
𝑡2𝑏 = √ = 0.316s
9.8
Based on the results, reaction times are

𝑡3𝑎 = √
2(0.20)
= 𝟎. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝒔 slower while distracted than they are while
9.8
concentrated on the task.
2(0.32)
𝑡3𝑏 = √ = 0.256s
9.8
6. Applications
2(0.24)
𝑡4𝑎 = √ = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟐𝟏𝒔
9.8 1) It is possible to determine the height of a
2(0.22)
𝑡4𝑏 = √ 9.8
= 0.306s building using only a stopwatch. Just simply
drop the stopwatch from the top of the
The results show that there is a longer
building and record the time it takes to reach
reaction time when the person is distracted.
the ground. Since the object is in freefall, the
This is due to a delay in stimuli because the
acceleration is equal to -9.8m/s2. Therefore,
brain is preoccupied with other processes.
from the kinematic equations for uniformly
5. Conclusion accelerated motion, the height of the building
is equal to 9.8(time)2/2.
Using the Vernier Logger Pro,
displacement vs. time, and velocity vs. time 2) Based on the activity done on reaction
graphs where the student had uniform motion time, there is a basis on why cell phones
should be banned while driving. Vision and
focus on the road is important in driving. If a
To Home
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driver is distracted by using a cell phone, the

810
270

1350
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2430
driver most likely wouldn’t be aware of -1000
sudden objects on the road and wouldn’t
-2000

Displacement (m)
have enough time to react to the situation. Total
This would cause multiple kinds of Displacem
-3000 ent (m)
accidents. Velocity
-4000 (m/s)
3)

-5000
To UST
6000 -6000
Time (s)
5000
Displacement (m)

4000
Total
7. References
3000 Displacem
ent (m) [1] Young, D. & Stadler, S., Introduction to
2000
Velocity Physics, 10th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
1000 (m/s)
United States, 2015.
0
270
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2430
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1890

[2] Instantaneous and Average Velocity.

Time (s) Retrieved from
https://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/applets/Gr
een/Illuminations/html/Kinematics(1D)/Gra
phs/VelAvgVelCompare1a.html