Question

Measurement of velocity was very different in the time before computer aided data collection. Can you think of some accurate way to measure velocity that doesn't use a computer?

Answer 1

3 ways to measure velocity without using Computer :

1. Stopwatch and Meterstick

Use a stop watch and a meter stick. However a stop watch is only as good as the human controlling it. At best, human reaction time is a fraction of a second (1/5th) and this alone can create an error.

2. Photogates and Meterstick

In a photogate, when the moving object blocks a beam of light it triggers the start of our timer. Then when it blocks a second gate it can stop the timer.

3. Tickertape and Meterstick

Tickertape machine emits a very significant sound. It has a small metal stylus which bumps up and down at 60 cycles/second. This frequency is because of the frequency of Alternating Current electricity which powers the apparatus. A piece of carbon paper is placed between the vibrating stylus and the ticker tape. Each time the stylus bounces down, it leaves a carbon dot on the paper. The distance between these dots can be measured with a simple meter stick after the experiment is performed. The time between dots is simply 1/60th of a second.