Cart Lab Report PREAP Physics

Acceleration in
Relation to Mass
Amy Gong
PREAP PHYSICS
10/26/2009
 Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to observe the two forces that work on and
against each other in a vector. The lab observes that principles of Newton’s second
law of motion. Newton’s second law states that the acceleration of an object is
directly proportional to the unbalanced force acting on it and indirectly proportional
to its mass. The principle will be shown through the different masses that will be
placed on a cart and hanging mass because as the hanging mass increases, the
acceleration of the object being pulled should also increase.
 Lab Set-up: There is a gray flat ramp placed on a level table that is .98 meters
above the ground. Attached to the end of the ramp that in at the edge of the table
is a round pulley and a stopper that will catch the cart. The cart is placed on the
ramp and a black line is attached to the leading end of the cart, and the other end
of the line is attached to a hanger that weighs 5g. The line is placed on the pulley to
allow the weights that will be hung on the hanger to pull the cart forward towards
the edge of the table.
cart
pulley
ramp
Table; .98 m high

weight
 Safety concerns: none

 Procedure: First we set up a pulley, with a green cart attached on one end that
would run along a smooth surface and hanging weights on the other end that
would pull the cart towards the edge of the table that is .98 meters above the
ground. Next, we would add weights to the top of the cart and some to hanging
end of the pulley. We would then run three trials timing how long it takes for the
hanging weights to drop from the table edge to the ground. Then we would take
some of the weights from the cart and add them to the hanging mass and repeat
the previous step.
 DATA:
Mass Mass Time Distanc F net Accelerati Mass Mass
Hung on of e pulled (N) on (m/s 2 ) of of
(Kg) cart run (meter syste cart
(Kg) (sec) ) m (Kg) (Kg)
.055 .150 1.05 .98 .539 -1.78 .303 .153
.105 .100 .69 .98 1.029 -4.12 .250 .150
.205 0 .45 .98 2.009 -9.68 .207 .207
 CALCULATIONS:
➢ Fnet = (mass hung)*(Fgravity)
(.055 Kg)(9.8 m/s2) = .539 Newtons
➢ Acceleration: Posf = Posi + Vit + .5at2
0 m = .98 m + (0 m/s)(1.05 s) + .5 (1.05)2a
-1.96 = 1.1025a
a = -1.78 m/s2
➢ Mass of system = Fnet / acceleration
.539 N / -1.78 m/s2 = .303 Kg
➢ Mass of cart = mass of system – mass on cart
.303 Kg - .150 Kg = .153 Kg
 Free Body Diagrams:
2) 3) Framp
1) Framp Framp
.539 N 1.029 N Cart & 2.009 N Cart
Cart &
weights weights .207 KG
.303 KG .250 KG
Fgravity Fgravity Fgravity
 Conclusion & Questions:

➢ Why was the gravitational force of the hanging mass the net force of the
system?
 The gravitational force is the only force accounted for in the net force
because there is no friction created that is pulling in the opposite direction.
➢ What are some weaknesses of the lab?
 There are some data collection errors in the lab because with two different
people starting the timer and releasing the cart, they do not act
simultaneously. Also, the timer won’t be stopped at the same time the
weights reach the ground because there is a reaction time from when it is
perceived that the weight hits the ground to when the stop button is hit.
Therefore, the time collected is off a little.
➢ How do these calculations account for the different calculations of the cart’s
mass?
 The reaction time for each trial will vary each time, so the timing error is
different every time. Therefore, the accelerations will not be perfectly
inverse to the mass that is hung and the mass of the system that is
calculated will be more imprecise, leading to different mass of carts.
➢ Would it be more accurate to use a more massive hang weight or less massive
hang weight to get a more accurate calculation of the cart’s mass? Why?
 It would be more accurate to hang less weight because then the cart will
accelerate at a lesser rate, and reaction time will be quicker, leaving less
room for error.
➢ Using the free body diagram for the cart and the acceleration you calculated,
find the tension in the string.
 The tension in the string is equal to the force of the weights.
1) .539 N
2) 1.029 N
3) 2.009 N
➢ Why did we not need to know the tension in the string to calculate the cart’s
mass?
 The tension in the string remains constant throughout each run and it does
not affect the cart’s mass.
➢ The lab effectively demonstrated Newton’s second law of motion because as
the mass hung increase, the acceleration of the cart also increased
proportionally.
➢ However, to attain more accurate results for the mass of the cart, the person
who times the fall of the weight should stoop down directly in front of the
weight so that he/she can perceive that the weight has hit the ground in a more
accurate manner.

Cart Lab Report PREAP Physics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cart Lab Report PREAP Physics

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cart Lab Report PREAP Physics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Acceleration in

Table; .98 m high

 Safety concerns: none

 Conclusion & Questions:

You might also like