to show that acceleration is proportional to the force

Question 1

how did measure the applied force?

Answer 1

weights were added to the weights tray at the end of the rope and pulley. Each weight had a force of 1N

Question 2

how did you minimise the effect of friction during the experiment?

Answer 2

use a linear air track that is free from dust and elevated at an angle to minimize friction effects

Question 3

what is plotted on the x and y axes for the graph for this experiment?

Answer 3

acceleration and force

Question 4

what does your graph tell you about the relationship between the acceleration of the body and the force applied to it?

Answer 4

the acc is directly proportional to the applied force

Question 5

how would you use the graph to find the mass of the object?

Answer 5

the slope=the mass

Question 6

on a trial run of this experiment, a student found that graph did not go through the origin. suggest a reason for this.

Answer 6

the force of friction was not overcome, so the force of friction reduces the applied force. (when the 1N mass is applied, actually less that 1N of force is applied due to the friction)

Question 7

describe how the apparatus should be adjusted so that graph would go through the origin

Answer 7

tilt the track, remove dust from the linear air track