Analyzing motion through video

Students will perform basic exercises to learn the capabilities of the cameras and the analytical software. Once they are familiar with the capabilities they will use the the multi-shot feature of the cameras on tripods to record the path of a thrown object. A soft foam ball will be used first. When a series of useful pictures is obtained they will be downloaded into the computer and analyzed with PASCO Scientific Workshop. Each image will be "spotted" in the same place and then the path will be shown on the display. Student will repeat the same experiment with other irregular objects and observe that the path of the center of gravity is always in the shape of a parabola regardless of how the object itself may be moving otherwise.
When a visible scale is place behind the object, other aspects of motion will be explored. The independence of horizontal and vertical motion, average and instantaneous velocity and acceleration can be explored with this data.
Students will then fill out worksheets to determine what they have learned from the exercise. TIPER's (Tasks Inspired by Physics Education Research) are particularly useful as post-activity exercises.