Phy101a home experiment – 2

Ashutosh Muduly roll no. 200215

Inclined surface used – a white board(melamine) with
adjustable legs

Sliding surface used: -

1. Silicone smartphone cover
 Simply placed this way on
the whiteboard surface

2. Cardboard smartphone box

Smartphone would be
placed inside the box then
the arrangement would be
allowed to slide.

Coefficient of friction (µ)

µ = tan ɵo, where ɵo = critical

angle

The angles are measured using a protractor and phyphox and are
in degrees

For surface 1, angle of protractor was just short of 25

Measured angle of inclinations = 23.72, 23.94, 24.13, 24.21,
24.35.
Average = 24.07 = ɵo Error range = -1.45% to 1.16%
µ = tan ɵo = 0.4467 sin ɵo = 0.4079

For surface 2, angle of protractor was around 20

Measured angle of
inclinations = 21.03, 20.87,
20.45, 20.13, 19.98
Average = 20.49 = ɵo Error
range = -2.55% to 2.64%
µ = tan ɵo = 0.3737 sin ɵo
= 0.3501

Acceleration at various
angles
Acceleration of an object at ɵ>ɵo a = g (sin ɵ - sin ɵo)
Here g = acceleration due to gravity = 9.81 ms-2
Measured using acceleration without g on phyphox.
The angles of inclination are 30, 35, 40, 45 ,50

For surface 1

30 35 40 45 50
Measured 0.9507 1.6781 2.6458 3.1423 3.8124
0.9423 1.6547 2.5134 3.0076 3.6586
0.9245 1.6411 2.3889 2.9564 3.5961
0.9011 1.6121 2.2387 2.9492 3.4379
0.8834 1.6095 2.1845 2.9377 3.2536
Average 0.9204 1.6391 2.3942 2.9986 3.5517
Measured
Calculate 0.9035 1.6253 2.3042 2.9352 3.5134
d
Error 1.87% 0.85% 3.91% 2.16% 1.09%

Average error = 1.98%

For surface 2

30 35 40 45 50
Measured 1.7536 2.4467 3.2234 3.7622 4.3729
1.6729 2.3190 3.1657 3.6827 4.2546
1.5281 2.2096 2.9576 3.5488 4.1753
1.3824 2.1867 2.8073 3.3951 3.9872
1.2706 2.1755 2.7863 3.2716 3.8767
Average 1.5215 2.2675 2.9880 3.5321 4.1333
measured
Calculate 1.4690 2.1923 2.8712 3.5022 4.0804
d
Error 3.57% 3.43% 4.07% 0.85% 1.30%
Average error = 2.65%

Experimental procedure

The melamine white board was used as incline for 2

reasons: - The surface is smooth enough to produce a
decent critical angle & the adjustable legs allowed to
change the angle of inclination up to approximately 60.

For both surfaces the arrangement was slid down just after
the play button in phyphox was pressed to record the
acceleration

Such a
graph is
obtained
on

performing the procedure. The acceleration values to be

considered should be taken from the encircled part as the
further part is of the time after the object has reached the
ground.

5 values were measured corresponding to each angle to

give a value with decent error. Angles of inclination were
chosen 5 degrees apart to get a consistent and measurable
result.
Conclusion: -
The error obtained in critical angle was of greater range
and magnitude in Surface 2 compared to Surface 1.
Average error in acceleration was greater in Surface 2
compared to Surface 1.
Overall error range was a decent -5% to 5%.