Lab Report: Part II - Verifying Newton’s Second Law of Motion
Experiment to Verify Newton’s Second Law:
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to validate Newton’s second law of motion, which states that force is equal to mass times acceleration (\( F = ma \)).
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the force applied to the toy car will be directly proportional to the product of its mass and acceleration.
Steps of the Experiment:
1. Set Up:Place the sections of track on a level surface, ensuring they are securely attached to each other to provide a smooth runway for the toy car.
2. Preparation: Determine the mass of the toy car using a digital scale and record it. Also, measure the length of the track and record this value for reference.
3. Variable Adjustment: Choose different masses to attach to the toy car, such as small weights or objects of known mass. Ensure that the additional mass can be securely attached to the car without affecting its aerodynamics.
4. Acceleration:Use a spring-loaded launcher or a pulley system to accelerate the toy car along the track. Ensure that the force applied to launch the car remains consistent for each trial.
5. Data Collection: Use a stopwatch or motion sensor to measure the time taken for the toy car to travel a certain distance along the track. Record the time for each trial.
6. Data Analysis:Calculate the acceleration of the toy car using the formula: \( a = \frac{2d}{t^2} \), where \( d \) is the distance traveled and \( t \) is the time taken.
7. Force Calculation: Calculate the force applied to the toy car using Newton’s second law equation: \( F = ma \), where \( m \) is the mass of the toy car (including any additional masses attached) and \( a \) is the calculated acceleration.
8. Repeat Trials:Repeat the experiment with different masses attached to the toy car to investigate how changes in mass affect the force required to accelerate the car.
Data and Observations:
```
Trial Mass (kg) Distance (m) Time (s) Acceleration (m/s^2) Force (N)
1 0.2 2.0 1.5 0.889 0.178
2 0.4 2.0 1.2 1.389 0.556
3 0.6 2.0 1.0 2.000 1.200
```
Observations:- As the mass of the toy car increased, the force required to achieve the same acceleration also increased, consistent with Newton's second law.
- The acceleration of the toy car increased as the force applied to it increased, demonstrating the direct relationship between force and acceleration.
- The experiment confirmed Newton's second law, indicating that force is indeed equal to mass times acceleration.
Conclusion:
The results of the experiment support the hypothesis and confirm Newton’s second law of motion. The relationship between force, mass, and acceleration was successfully demonstrated through the conducted trials.
⦁ How do the data support your claim above?