GE1808

Laboratory Experiment
Uniformly Accelerated Motion
Objectives:

At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to:

 Describe the motion of an object moving with uniform acceleration.

Materials/Equipment:
 One (1) dynamic wooden cart  Stopwatch
 Graphing papers  Meter stick
 One (1) 0.5 m x 2 m wooden plank  ld books

Basic Principles:
Acceleration 𝑎 is the rate of change of velocity per unit of time. That is,
𝑑𝑣
𝑎 = 𝑑𝑡
𝑣−𝑣0
= 𝑡 .
As an object accelerates, its displacement is given by,
1 2
𝑑𝑥 = 𝑣0𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡
2
∆𝑣2
= 2𝑎 .
In this experiment, the displacement of the object is given and the time it takes to cover such displacement can
be measured.

Safety:
In this experiment, make sure to wear gloves to avoid splintering your fingers. Safety glasses are also
recommended to avoid eye injuries. Never engage in horseplay whenever conducting this experiment.

Procedure:
1. Starting from about 20 cm from one (1) end of the plank, put marks on the ramp with intervals of 20
cm each.
2. Elevate the end of the plank by placing it over a pile of books such that the cart will move down the
plank when released.
3. Position the cart at the top of the incline such that its front end lies exactly on the first mark on the
ramp.
4. Gently apply a slight push on the cart so that it will start moving downwards.
5. Using the split timing function of the stopwatch, measure how much time is needed for the cart to
pass each mark down the ramp. Time must be measured from the starting position. Record the
results.
6. Compute for the acceleration of the cart using the equation, 𝑎 = 2𝑥/𝑡2, for each time interval as
indicated in the data. Note that the distance must be measured from the starting position of the cart.
7. Repeat steps 2-6, this time increasing the inclination of the ramp by adding one (1) or two (2) more
books on the pile.
8. Create a displacement-time graph for each table. Consider the values of the distance traveled along
the ordinate axis and the time it took the cart to pass each mark along the abscissa. Plot as well the
time it took the car to pass each marked distance. Draw the best-fit curve of the data.

After the Experiment:

01 Laboratory Experiment 1 *Property of STI

Page 1 of 4
 GE1808

 All unused materials must be arranged neatly on the table's center.

01 Laboratory Experiment 1 *Property of STI

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 Uniformly Accelerated Motion

Name Group 2 Date Performed

Section COE-201 Date Submitted

Rate your group member’s participation, including yourself.

(0 = no participation, 1 = moderate participation, 2 = active participation, 3 = exceeded expectation)

Group Members Rating

1. John Cedrick E. De Leon 3
2. Jean-Patrick V. Poloyapoy 3
3. Franz Ivan Tuscano 3
4. Tyrone Tapar 3
5. Ervin Grande 3

DATA AND RESULTS:

Table 1 Observations for Trial 1

Distance Time from the First Mark Computed

(Meters) (Seconds) Acceleration
0.0 0 0
0.2 0.50 0.8 m/s

0.4 2.50 0.064 m/s

0.6 3.75 0.042 m/s

0.8 4.75 0.035 m/s

1.0 5.50 0.033 m/s

1.2 6.25 0.030 m/s

1.4 7.00 0.028 m/s
1.6 8.00 0.025 m/s
1.8 9.00 0.022 m/s
 Trial 1
2 1.8
1.8 1.6
1.6 1.4
Position (Meter)

1.4 1.2
1.2 1
1 0.8
0.8 0.6
0.6 0.4
0.4 0.2
0.2 0
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Time (Seconds)

Table 2 Observations for Trial 2

Distance Time from the First Mark Computed
(Meters) (Seconds) Acceleration
0.0 0 0
0.2 0.25 3.2 m/s

0.4 0.40 2.5 m/s

0.6 0.55 1.98 m/s

0.8 0.65 1.89 m/s

1.0 0.75 1.77 m/s

1.2 0.85 1.66 m/s

1.4 0.95 1.55 m/s

1.6 1.05 1.45 m/s

1.8 1.10 1.48 m/s
 Trial 2
2 1.8
1.8 1.6
1.6 1.4
Position (Meter)

1.4 1.2
1.2 1
1 0.8
0.8 0.6
0.6 0.4
0.4 0.2
0.2 0
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Time (Seconds)

QUESTIONS:

1. Did the cart take the same amount of time to cover each interval? If not, does the
time interval increase or decrease as the cart moves down the ramp? Explain.
The amount time is not constant as the cart goes down the ramp. The time interval
increases from the different levels but the rate of increase is not fixed. Gravity is one of the
variables in this experiment and also it took less time for the cart to reach the end as
the angle increased.
2. Based on your response in question 1, is the velocity of the cart constant as it
moves down the ramp? If not, is it increasing or decreasing? Explain.
The velocity of the cart is increasing as it moves down the ramp. The distance of the
slope also affects it. The longer the ramp, the faster it would go. Also, taking the
consideration of the ramp’s height.
3. Is the cart accelerating as it moves down the ramp? Explain.
The forces acting on the toy car as it rolls down are gravity, friction and the normal
force.
The component of gravity along the direction of the slope is greater than any frictional
forces
and gives an acceleration down the ramp.
4. Based on the data, is the acceleration of the cart constant as the cart moves down
the ramp? Explain.
No, the acceleration of the cart will be constant if it will move on a flat plane. As the
angle increases, the component of force parallel to the incline increases and the
component of force perpendicular to the incline decreases. It is the parallel component of
the weight vector that causes the acceleration. Thus, accelerations are greater at greater
angles of incline.
5. Based on the graphs, is the best-fit curve a straight line? If not, what can you say
about the motion of the cart if the best-fit curve turns out to be a straight line?
 Explain.
Lines of best fit can be straight or curved. Some will pass through all of the points, while
others will have an even spread of points on either side. 

CONCLUSION:

We concluded that the result shows that the rate of acceleration is proportional to inclined
plane. We also believe this laboratory experiment shows clearly why using technology can
lead to deeper understanding of physical phenomena. We need to consider friction a real
force that plays an ongoing part in our daily lives and we shouldn’t just eliminate or ignore it
when studying physical situations.