This lab involved a lot more mathematical and technical skill than the last lab. The goal of the lab was to set up the lego car and to have it run at a certain power amount, and we would measure the distance that it would travel using a meter stick. Then we would have to record the distances and times that would read out in the LabView application, and repeat the process three times for each power value. Using all of our collected data we would then have to calculate our percent error.

Data

 

Power= 15

Measured travel distance (cm)

1)   25.3

2)   25.5   Average dist.= 26.6cm, .260m (LabView readout)   # of turns= 1.47

3)   26

Power= 85

Measured travel distance (cm)

1)   30.2

2)   30      Average dist.= 30.1cm, .304m (LabView readout)   # of turns=1.7

3)   34

Power=95

Measured travel distance (cm)

1)   33.5

2)   33.3   Average dist= 30.1cm, .304m (Labview readout)   # of turns= 1.7

3)   33.4

 

% error

showing my work…

Power=15

            %error= 4.9%

Power=85

            %error= .99%

Power=95

            %error= 4.1%

 

Something that we had a hard time doing was getting an accurate reading on the ruler. The car would usually not travel in a perfectly straight line, which made it hard to measure the distance clearly. Also remembering the exact mark on the wheel to measure from was a challenge as well, but our % error stayed very low. From time to time our car would not run either too, but eventually it would catch up to the commands of the computer.