Unbalanced Forces Particle Lab

Cassidy Nguyen
Turner Shultz
John David White

Purpose:
To determine the graphical and mathematical relationship between friction and weight.
Apparatus:
Procedure:
1. Block and weights were measured on a scale and recorded.
2. For each trial, a new weight was placed on a block with the first trial having no weight on
it.
3. A device was used for each trial to measure the maximum force of friction and constant
force of friction on the desk on the block.
4. The data was recorded and put on a table and graphed.

Data:
Analysis:
Conclusion:

The data of both of the graphs portray a proportional relationship. The equation for the graph of
max force vs. normal force would be y=0.372x+.509. The equation for the graph of Constant
velocity force vs. normal force is y=0.246x+0.267. In the experiment, the normal force that is
exerted on the block comes from the ground and pushes the block upwards. Without the
presence of a normal force, there is no friction force. For this experiment, a force meter was
attached to a wooden block, and the block was drug across a table. The force of friction acting
on the block was measured on the force meter when the block was pulled. Once the block had
enough force to overcome the friction acted onto it, it moved at a constant velocity without
acceleration meaning that the forces working on it are equal. The normal force was used
because it has a direct relationship to friction force whereas mass and friction force do not. The
general equation for this experiment was derived from the equation of friction force is equal to
the coefcient of friction multiplied by the normal force, so in our experiment, the friction forces
are 0.372 and 0.246. The difference in surface resulted in the difference in friction force. A
source of error relevant in this experiment could have involved the person pulling the block.
Because we recorded some of the results one day and the rest of the results the final day, the
exact mass could have thrown off the results by a little feeding to the percentage of error. To x
this problem the same person should pull the block every time.