Constant Velocity Vs. Constant Acceleration

     The purpose of this lab we just finished was to deepen our understanding of the difference between velocity and acceleration and to learn how to solve for how fast and how far something is going using the equation of a line. We also learned how to translate the equation of a line into words then numbers.
During the lab it became clearer the difference between constant velocity and constant acceleration.Constant velocity means that the object is moving at a constant speed. There is no acceleration or change in speed. Constant acceleration means that the object is speeding up or slowing down at a constant speed.
    In the lab we rolled a marble down a flat surface to determine the constant velocity, we did this by making a mark of where the ball was every second and then measuring the distance between the marks using cm. We did the same thing to find the acceleration of the marble but it was on a ramp instead so the marble was constantly speeding up.
    I learned that if something is moving at a constant velocity, it cannot be moving at a constant acceleration because that would mean constantly speeding up and in order to have a constant velocity it needs to be at equilibrium. The formula that is used to determine constant acceleration is a= the change in V/ time. The equation for constant velocity is v=distance/time. Another distinction between constant velocity and constant acceleration is the line graphs. A line graph for constant velocity would be a straight diagonal line whereas a line graph for constant acceleration would be a curved line that becomes steeper as it accelerates. The line graph and the line equation support my data because it shows how constant velocity has an even distance between every mark (second) and for acceleration the graph shows how the ball sped up and covered more distance in less time.
    One important thing that I learned from this lab is how to take a line equation and translate it into words such as distance and time. I am sure that I will see this equation much more throughout Physics class this year. This lab also helped me with the other equations we have learned such as the equation for how fast and how far something is going. Another thing that became more clear is how to determine whether something is at constant velocity or if it is moving at constant acceleration. This became much more clear to me when we did the experiment with the marble on the table. One other thing I learned is how to graph my results and figure out the equation of the line.