LESACA, NOAH PATRICK S.

CE-B41 2018102409
Analysis

Part A

Setting the up the experiment, the materials should placed properly. The dynamic
track should be horizontal so that the dynamic cart will not move. This is to ensure that no
external factors will affect the movement of the cart once the experiment was conducted. On
the manual it said to put the first photogate at the 20-cm mark, and the second photogate at
the 70-cm mark therefore the distance between the is 50 cm. However, when the dynamic
cart rests on the start of the track, its front is not in line with the first photogate. When
passing the first photogate, the cart already traveled approximately 5 cm hence, the initial
velocity of the cart is not equal to zero. The ideal setup was that the front of the cart is in line
with the first photogate, so that if it will pass the first photogate, its initial velocity is equal to
zero. When quickly adjusted our starting point, by moving the car closer to the first
photogate. Another problem encountered was the added mass of the pan. Without any
addition of weights, the pan already weighs 5 grams. The weight of the pan was considered
and added to the experimental hanging weight. After each experiment, when the cart reaches
the end of the track, its impact was strong and it makes the dynamic track move, in
consequence the photogates loses its alignment with track. Each trial, the materials were
checked if there are still on their right positions.

Part B

The difference between part A and part B of the experiment is the mass of the track.
On part A, mass is constant, on part B mass was changing. Same problems surfaced such as
the weight of the pan being considered, adjustment of the initial position of the cart, and the
re-alignment of the whole system because when the cart strikes the end of the track, the
whole system moves. The set of weights consists 18 pieces with different mass. We had to
make sure that the pan has a constant 100 grams, and the added weight on the cart are
another 100 grams and 300 grams.
Mass of cart, m1 = 0.50476 kg

Distance travelled, s = 0.5 m

Table no. 1 Constant Mass, Changing force

Trial Net force (N) Acceleration Acceleration
(accepted value), a (Experimental value), a
1 0.196 N 0.4083 m/s2 0.3735 m/s2
2 0.588 N 1.0412 m/s2 1.0736 m/s2
3 0.98 N 1.6205 m/s2 0.6470 m/s2

Total hanging mass, m2 = 0.1 kg

Distance traveled, s = 0.5 m

Table no. 2 Changing Mass, Constant Net Force

Trial Mass of cart + mass Acceleration Acceleration
added m1 (accepted value), a (Experimental
value),a
1 0.50476 kg 1.6205 m/s2 0.5680 m/s2
2 0.60476 kg 1.3905 m/s2 1.3474 m/s2
3 0.80476 kg 1.0832 m/s2 1.1478 m/s2
Sample computation

Trial 2 Constant Mass, Changing Force

m2 = 0.06 kg 𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝑚2 𝑔

𝑚
t = 0.9651 s = (0.06 𝑘𝑔)(9.8 𝑠 2)

𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 0.588 𝑁

(Accepted value) (Experimental Value) (% Error)

𝑚𝑔 2𝑠 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑥 − 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡
𝑎=𝑚 𝑎= 𝑡2
%𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = | |x 100
1 +𝑚2 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡

𝑚 𝑚 1.0736𝑚
(0.06 𝑘𝑔)(9.8 2 ) (2)(0.5𝑚) (1.0412 2 − )
𝑠2
= (0.5046 𝑘𝑔+0.06𝑠 𝑘𝑔) 𝑎= %𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 𝑠
𝑥100
(0.9651 𝑠)2 1.0736 𝑚/𝑠 2

𝑎 = 1.0412 𝑚/𝑠 2 𝑎 = 1.0736 𝑚/𝑠 2 %𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 3.0179 %

Trial 2 Changing Mass, Constant Net Force

𝑚1 = 0.60476 𝑘𝑔

𝑡 = 0.8615 𝑠

(Accepted Value) (Experimental value) (% Error)

𝑚2 𝑔 2𝑠 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑥 − 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡
𝑎= 𝑎= %𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = | | x 100
𝑚1 +𝑚2 𝑡2 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡

𝑚 𝑚 1.3474𝑚
(0.1 𝑘𝑔)(9.8 2 ) (2)(0.5 𝑚 ) (1.3905 2 − )
𝑠2
𝑎= 𝑠
𝑎= %𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 𝑠
𝑥100
0.60476 𝑘𝑔+0.1 𝑘𝑔 (0.8615 𝑠)2 1.3474 𝑚/𝑠 2

𝑎 = 1.3905 𝑚/𝑠 2 𝑎 = 1.3474 𝑚/𝑠 2 %𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 3.1988 %

Conclusion

The second law of Newton states that the rate of change of velocity of a certain body
is directly proportional to the sum of all forces acting on an object but inversely proportional
to its mass. The objective of the experiment is to prove the existence of relationship between
acceleration and net force by providing a set of examples. Table no.1 states that with mass
being constant (0.50476 kg), the net force and acceleration of the object increases. There is
direct proportion between the two variables. The experiment showed that when the pan has
greater mass, means it will go down faster, the cart on the track will accelerate faster.
Meaning the motion of the pan going down is relative and directly proportional to the cart
above.

On the other hand, when the net force is constant, and the mass of the cart changing
from 0.50476 kg to 0.80476 kg, acceleration decreases. The experiment has the pan with a
constant mass, meaning the net force acting upon it will be constant. However, the mass of
the cart above increases, as the mass gets higher, it will be harder for the pan is move it. The
constant net force will not be able to move the changing mass of the cart above unlike the
experiment above. As the mass of the cart increases, acceleration decreases, hence creating
an inversely proportional relationship between the two.

The objectives of the experiment were proven by conducting the simple experiment.