Force and acceleration Flashcards
describe the method of finding the effect of mass on the acceleration of a trolley
1) set up 2 light gates a small distance apart with a ramp running between them, and attach a small piece of card to the trolley as well as a mass
2) set up the light gates to take velocity and time readings
3) record velocity and time for different values of mass on the trolley
4) work out acceleration by dividing the difference in velocity values by the time taken for the card to pass between both gates
5) if you are changing the mass, keep the gradient of the ramp the same
what would be the conclusion for the experiment?
‘finding the effect of mass on the acceleration of a trolley’
the acceleration of the trolley does not depend on the mass of the trolley and will remain fairly constant throughout
Explain why it is better to use light gates and a data logger than a stopwatch to record time values [3]
more accurate/repeat readings can be taken with little or no human error
calculations can be performed quickly by the data logger to provide speeds and accelerations
Suggest how this investigation could be improved to obtain better results [4]
more accurate mass, more accurate slop/gradient, reduce friction, more readings for mass, repeat readings to determine the precision
Design a similar experiment to determine how acceleration depends on the gradient of the slope [5]
constant mass throughout/other variables controlled, change slope by 10 degrees at a time, same starting point along slope, record enough values for change in velocity and change in time between two light gates, repeat readings to determine precision
