5.1 Case Study: Sleuthing Galileo

 

Summary

Galileo conducted rolling ball experiments in which he put a ramp with a horizontal ledge at the bottom on a table. Then he rolled a ball down the ramp recording how far out it hit the floor for a given starting height. The purpose of this CSC is to use calculus and modern analysis to try to make mathematical sense of the five data points that he recorded in this experiment. One outcome of the investigation is to formulate some ideas about how this particular experiment might have contributed to a calculation of g, the acceleration due to gravity.

By the time you complete the CSC, you should know:


Applets

Sleuthing Galileo

Videos

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Quiz

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Exercises

See Exercises for 5.1 Case Study: Sleuthing Galileo (PDF).

Work online to solve the exercises for this section, or for any other section of the textbook.

Interesting Application

Galileo's own notes on the rolling ball experiment.


4.11 Case Study: Flood Watch Table of Contents


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Copyright © 2005 Donald L. Kreider, C. Dwight Lahr, Susan J. Diesel