Phys Sci - 9/30, 10/1 - Lab - Galileo's Inclined Plane

II.  Before Galileo, there was a Greek philosopher named Aristotle (you've probably heard of him).  He suggested that objects accelerate when they fall based on their weight.  In other words, a skydiver would accelerate faster than a tennis ball when both are "thrown" from an airplane.

Galileo wasn't so sure, though.  He thought that all objects would accelerate in the exact same way.  However, in the 1600's there weren't video cameras, or even stopwatches. Timing something in "free fall" was pretty much impossible.  But, he reasoned, an object rolling down a hill is still affected by gravity, and therefore gives the same results.  So that's what he did - measured acceleration of objects rolling down an "inclined plane."  And that's what you are going to do, too!

The lab report is due at the end of your next class.