Acceleration

• What is the aim of the investigation?

  To investigate force, mass, and acceleration
• What does Newton's second law state about acceleration?

  It is directly proportional to net applied force
• How does varying the force affect acceleration?

  It increases acceleration for constant mass
• What happens to acceleration when mass is varied with constant force?

  Acceleration decreases as mass increases
• What are the variables in the investigation?

  • Independent variable: Applied force
  • Dependent variable: Acceleration of the trolley
  • Control variable: Trolley
• What is the dependent variable in this investigation?

  Acceleration of the trolley
• What is the independent variable in this investigation?

  Applied force
• What is a control variable in this investigation?

  Trolley
• Why is it important to control variables in this investigation?

  To ensure accurate and reliable results
• What is Newton's second law formula?

  F = MA
• What equipment is used to verify Newton's second law in this experiment?

  A track, trolley, and pulley system
• What is the weight force of 100 grams on Earth?

  0.98 Newtons
• How much force does each 10-gram mass exert?

  0.1 Newtons
• What is the purpose of using small masses in the experiment?

  To avoid excessive force on the trolley
• What does an air track do for the trolley?

  Reduces friction significantly
• What is the first step in measuring acceleration?

  Determine the force accelerating the trolley
• How can acceleration be measured using a data logger?

  By using photo gates to measure time
• What is the formula for calculating acceleration using a data logger?

  a = Δv / Δt
• What is the width of the flag used in the experiment?

  5.3 centimeters
• Why is it important to repeat readings in the experiment?

  To ensure reliability of results
• What is the average acceleration obtained for 100 grams?

  1.258 meters per second squared
• What happens when 20 grams are removed from the hanger?

  They must be added to the trolley
• What is the formula for calculating acceleration using one photo gate?

  a = V^2 / (2s)
• What must measurements be in to calculate acceleration correctly?

  In meters, not centimeters
• What should be plotted on the graph for this experiment?

  Force on the y-axis and acceleration on the x-axis
• What does a linear relationship in the graph indicate?

  Force is proportional to acceleration
• How is the gradient of the line calculated?

  By dividing the height by the width of the triangle
• What mass was calculated from the gradient of the graph?

  0.766 kilograms
• Why might the calculated mass differ from the actual mass?

  Due to friction and air resistance
• What is the expected relationship between the calculated mass and the actual mass?

  The calculated mass should be slightly higher