acceleration

Newton's second law states that the acceleration experienced by an object is directly proportional to the net applied force. This practical investigates the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration by measuring the applied force and acceleration of a trolley.

aim

investigate the effect of varying the force on the acceleration of an object of constant mass, and the effect of varying the mass of an object on the acceleration produced by a constant force

independent variable

applied force

dependent variable

acceleration of the trolley

control variable

trolley

equipment

• trolley

• adjustable ramp

• string

• pulley

• masses

• tape

• card

• balance

• 2 light gates

• data logger

• clamp

• stand

• ruler

setup

prop up using the clamp and stand and adjust the slope of the ramp until the trolley just starts to move on its own (to reduce effects of friction)

place the light gates along the ramp so the card passes through both of them

connect light gates to data logger

record the length of the card

fasten the card to the top of the trolley

record the combined mass of the trolley and card on the balance

add the mass to the string

connect the string to the trolley

steps

1. hang the string and mass from the edge of the ramp

2. release the trolley

3. record the velocity of the trolley and time taken from the data logger

4. repeat experiment by adding more mass from on top of the trolley

5. acceleration = change in velocity/time taken