Newtons Second Law Of Motion

Lab Write-Up

Plata, Andrew
Semaan, Sasha
Song, Sydney
Period 4
Abstract:
In our lab, the overall objective is to develop a quantative model
relating force and acceleration. Our specific purpose is to determine the
relationship between the acceleration and the mass of the system and to

determine the relationship between acceleration and the total force. The
variables in this lab were acceleration, the sum of the forces, and the
mass of the system. Acceleration was dependent on the sum of forces or
the mass. The sum of forces and the mass of the system were the
independent variables. Acceleration was inversely proportional to the
mass of the system. However, acceleration was directly proportional to
the sum of the forces. During our experiment, we used the motion
detector to detect the motion of an object that was traveling at a constant
acceleration either changing the mass, but keeping the same sum of
forces or changing the sum of forces, but changing the mass. In the end,
we found that acceleration was directly proportional to the sum of the
forces and acceleration was inversely proportional to the mass of the
system.

Diagram:

To compensate for friction...

Let Wx= -f

Procedure #1:
1. Set up experiment keeping weights handy.
2. Start off by adding one mass bar to the cart and
keeping, mass on hanger constant.
3. Let go of cart and have motion detector measure
acceleration on logger pro.
4. Repeat this process 5 more times adding another
mass bar onto the cart.
5. Input data in data table.
6. Calculate the mass of the system and the sum of
the forces.

Procedure #2:

1. Set up experiment keeping small mass discs

handy.
2. Start off by splitting the amount of discs between
the hanger and the cart to keep the mass of the system
constant.
3. Let go of the cart and allow the motion detector to
catch acceleration onto logger pro.
4. Repeat the process 5 times changing the amount
of mass discs between the cart and hanger each time, making
sure to use the same amount of mass discs throughout the
experiment.
5. Input data in data table.
6. Calculate the sum of forces and mass of system.

Data Table #1:

acceleration
(m/s/s)

m
(kg)

m
(kg)

F
(N)

mass of
system (kg)

1.67

0.250

0.55

0.539

0.305

0.90

0.500

0.55

0.539

0.555

0.65

0.750

0.55

0.539

0.805

0.49

1.000

0.55

0.539

1.055

0.42

1.250

0.55

0.539

1.305

0.35

1.500

0.55

0.539

1.555

Data Table #2:

acceleration
(m/s/s)

m
(kg)

m
(kg)

F
(N)

mass of
system (kg)

0.65

0.33

0.025

0.245

0.355

0.90

0.32

0.035

0.343

0.355

1.21

0.31

0.045

0.441

0.355

1.43

0.30

0.055

0.539

0.355

1.68

0.29

0.065

0.637

0.355

1.94

0.28

0.075

0.735

0.355

Data Evaluation #1:

To gather our data we first gathered an incline plane with a pulley (and
attached a motion detector), a cart, a hanger, and a mass bars. Then we set up
logger pro to connect to the motion detector and tied the hanger to the cart putting
the hanger on the pulley. At this point we begin our experiment by placing 0.050
kg on our hanger and one mass bar (0.250 kg) to our cart also (0.250 kg). Then we
begin by letting the cart go, once our motion detector got signal to catch the
acceleration. Then our acceleration will be shown on logger pro and we write down
our data. From there we repeat this five more times adding a mass bar each time.
We have noticed that keeping our sum of forces constant the acceleration decreased
because of the increase of mass on mass 1. We then graphed our finding and came
up with a parabola with the proportion a is proportional to 1/m (a being
acceleration and m being mass of system. We had to take our m and put it to 1/m
to make our graph linear.

Sample Calculations:
To find the sum of forces and the mass of the system (shown in the data
table) we had to calculate it and to calculate we had to multiply mass two by
gravity (F = m g) and to calculate the mass of the system we had to add mass
one by mass two (m + m = mass of the system).
Examples: F = m g

m + m = mass of the system

F = (0.055 kg) (9.8N)

F = 0.539N/kg

0.25kg + 0.055kg = mass of the system

0.305kg = mass of system

Graph of a vs. m:

This graph represent a is proportional to 1/m or the inverse of

m
Meaning of Slope:
The object is accelerating at 0.50 m/s for every kilogram.

Meaning of Intercept:
When mass is very near zero acceleration is 0.026 m/s.

a = (0.5 m/s/1/kg)(1/m) + (0.26 m/s)

Data Evaluation #2:

We gathered the same materials we used in our first lab, the incline plane
with a pulley (and attached motion detector), a hanger connected to a cart and
small mass discs. Then we opened logger pro and set up our first run. In this
experiment we had to change the sum of the forces keeping the mass of the system
constant, therefore we used the same mass of discs throughout the whole
experiment switching it between the hanger (mass of 0.005 kg) and the cart (mass
of 0.250 kg). We then did this five more times switching the mass discs around.
Then we collected all our data and calculated the sum of forces and the mass of the
system. After graphing all our coordinates we realized that in this experiment the
acceleration was increasing rather than decreasing in the experiment before. We
also found that unlike the other experiment the graph for this experiment came out
linear.

Sample Calculations:
To find the sum of forces and the mass of the system (shown in the data
table) we had to calculate it and to calculate we had to multiply mass two by
gravity (F = m g) and to calculate the mass of the system we had to add mass
one by mass two (m + m = mass of the system).
Examples: F = m g
F = (0.025 kg) (9.8N)
F = 0.245N/kg

Graph of a vs. F:

m + m = mass of the system

0.33kg + 0.025kg = mass of the system
0.355kg = mass of system

This graph represents a is proportional to F

a = (2.63 m/s/N)(F) + (0.0063 m/s)
Meaning of Slope:
The object is accelerating at 2.63 m/s for every newton

Meaning of Intercept:
When N is 0 the object accelerates 0.0063 m/s

Combined Analysis:
Later into our experiment we studied the proportionality argument more and
we found that a = kF 1/m with k being the constant. We then found that there
can be two ways to find k, and one way to solve k is to take the slope of the a vs.
1/m graph and divide it by the sum of forces. The second way to find k is to take
the slope of the a vs. F and multiply it by m or the mass of the system. Both
values of k should be very similar to themselves and approximate to the value of
1. (Making sure that our 1/m and F values are the fixed values we find.) making

Our equation to solve for k are: k= slope of a vs. 1/m/F and

k= slope of a vs F mass of system.

Calculations for k:
k= slope of a vs. 1/m/F k=slope of a vs F mass of system
k= (0.501m/s/N/kg)/ (0.539 N)
k= (2.633 m/s/N)(0.355kg)
k= 0.927 m/s/N/kg
k=0.933 m/s/N/kg
Average of k is 0.930

Error Analysis:
a. Our k, the constant, was an average of 0.93 when we expected a
constant of 1.00. Therefore, the error is 7%.
b. Some possible errors or uncertainties:
1. Under or Over Compensation of Friction
2. Motion Detector might have detected some
other movements
3. The mass might not have been perfectly
correct

Final Equation:
a = (0.07 0.5 m/s/1/kg)(1/m) + (0.26 m/s)
a = (0.07 2.63 m/s/N)(F) + (0.0063 m/s)