Domino Effect Lab Report

The Domino Effect 9-26-01 Abstract: In this experiment dominos were used to investigate how distance, time, and average speed is interrelated by maximizing the speed of falling dominoes. This was done by lining up 28 dominos up against a meter stick 0.5 cm, 1.0 cm, 1.5 cm, 2.0 cm, and 2.5 cm away from each other. Before the experiment the average width of a domino was taken. At the beginning of each of these 5 trials the dominos were lined up against the meter stick. The lengths of all the dominoes were taken so the average spacing distance could be taken. Then the dominos were tipped over, the time was recorded and placed on the data sheet.

For the first trial (0.5 cm) the length of all the dominoes were 29.1 cm. It took .32 seconds for the
This was subtracted from the row length.

And finally all was divided by the number of dominoes minus one.

Next the average spacing was needed but not in the regular unit of cm. This had to be put into domino length. This meant the average distance between each domino was how much percent of the average domino width. To find the spacing in domino length the average distance was placed over the average width of a domino.

Last the speed had to be found. This was done by dividing the row length by the time.

This gave the speed in cm/s (centimeters per second) It is obvious that the experiment would be full of error. It was virtually impossible for a human to space the dominoes exactly .5 cm, 1.0 cm, 1.5 cm etc. apart. Also with the timing, the human finger is not exactly the most precise instrument for clocking a row of falling dominoes. Error could also be found in the dominos themselves. In certain cases high quality dominoes were not affordable. In cases such as these the dominoes were cheap and had very little quality. Some we different sizes, weights