Conclusions
The simple set-up consisting of a digital camera and
video analysis open source, Tracker, was used to analyze
the motion of falling objects. Experimental results
were then compared with fundamental equations in mechanics
to verify the technique. In the case of falling
in air, the motion can be approximated as free fall and
the g value of high accuracy was obtained. Moreover,
the average velocity derived from digital analysis can
adequately represent the instantaneous velocity of the
thrown and bouncing balls. However, the accuracy of
the experiment was severely affected by the camera distance
and the contrast between ball and background. In
the case of falling in glycerol, the results are compatible
to Stokes’s law and the evolution of average velocity
until reaching the terminal velocity was displayed.