12/1: PASCO Newton's 2nd law lab

Tuesday, October 27, 2020 6:45 AM

Newton's Second Law Lab

Objective:
*to observe the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration using data collected from a smart cart

Materials:
1 smart cart with hook attachment (connected to built-in force sensor), 1 piece of string, 1 textbook
1 hanger (a weight to pull the cart), 2 masses, dynamics track

Background: READ THIS:

The following equation is Newton’s Second Law:
F = ma
In this lab, the slope of a force vs acceleration graph will be used to determine the mass of the smart cart. The calculated
mass from the slope of the force/acceleration line will be compared with the actual mass of the smart cart.
The relationship between force and acceleration as part of Newton’s second law will also be observed as part of a double-
y axis graph.

The final part of the lab will look at the relationship between mass and acceleration as the mass of the smart cart will be
manipulated and the resulting acceleration can be viewed on a graph.

Part One: Determining the mass of the cart from a graph

1. Open PASCO SPARKvue software, click on “Build a New Experiment,” select the first template layout on the top-
right (single graph), and then choose the graph icon in the top-left corner. Connect the smart cart to the software
via Bluetooth.
2. Create a single graph with Force on the y-axis and Acceleration on the x-axis.
NOTE: before beginning to collect data, you must “zero sensor now” by clicking on the force button at the
bottom left of the screen. Ask me if you can't find it. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP!
3. Read this entire step BEFORE proceeding! Place the car on the table and grip the hook at the front of the
car. Slowly pull the car forward and backward by the hook in a straight line in front of you for a length of
approximately 1/2 of the table. Press “play” while the car is in motion. Continue this motion for about 30 seconds,
pressing stop BEFORE stopping the motion of the car.

4. Observe the pattern of the data on the graph. Take a screenshot of the graph and place it in the space labeled
"Graph 1" below.

QUESTIONS:
a. GRAPH 1:
 b. What is the general shape of Graph 1? (mostly straight line, curved line, zig-zag)
The general shape of Graph 1 is a straight line
c. What does the shape of the graph indicate about the relationship between the force and the acceleration?
There is a direct relationship between force and acceleration, they have a positive constant slope.

5. Click the linear fit tool (see icon to right) for the data you just collected.
a. What is the slope value? (labeled "m" in the box on the graph)
0.196
b. Considering this is a force vs. acceleration graph, and remembering that slope is m=Δy/Δx and that this is a
Newton's Second Law lab, what characteristic about the cart does the value from 5a represent?
The mass of the cart

6. Mass your smart cart using the balance at the front of the room.

a. Mass of smart cart = 253 g. = 0.253 kg

(reminder: to convert from g to kg, divide by 1000 g/kg)

b. How does the actual mass of the smart cart compare to the slope of the data? (from question 5a)
The actual mass is greater than the slope of the data. They are similar numbers.

DO NOT CLEAR DATA

Part two: relationship between force and acceleration
1. Click the "add a page" icon on the top left of the computer screen and create another graph. Make the x axis time (it
should be already) and make the y axis acceleration.
2. Add another value to the y axis by clicking on the y axis and then clicking the blue "+" sign.
a. Make the value for the new y axis (on the right side) force.
b. Make sure you click the box for only the trial you want to view (should be the same one used for the
questions in part 1.
3. Place a screenshot of the graph in the Graph 2 space below.
a. Graph 2:
 b. What are the two values that are represented on the y axis?
Force and acceleration
c. What do you notice about the relationship (direct or inverse) between these two values (as shown by the two
lines on the graph)?
Force and acceleration have a direct relationship because they both go up when one or the other goes up
and vice versa.
d. How does this go along with what we know about these two values from Newton's 2nd law of motion?
Force and acceleration

Part three
.
1. Tie a loop in one end of a one meter length of string. Attach the notch of the 50g mass hanger to the loop. Tie a
loop on the other end of the string and attach the loop to the hook of the Smart Cart. Put the smart cart onto the
track, making sure its wheels are in the grooves. Hang the mass hanger over the edge of the table place a book at
the end of the track and adjust the length of the string so the mass is just above the floor when the cart strikes the
book. (see picture and video directly below it)

Watch a video of Mr. Pazinko completing this part of the lab by clicking on this link:
https://ebnet.instructuremedia.com/embed/491043ce-d0f2-4be0-a09c-cb39b2d4b4cf

1. Have your set-up checked before you begin collecting data.

2. Click the "add a page" icon on the top left of the computer screen and create another graph. Make the x axis time (it
should be already) and have the Y axis as Acceleration.
3. Position the cart so the string is over the book and the mass hanger hangs off the table.
4. Press “play” to begin recording data, As soon as you see data being plotted on the graph, release the smart cart
and record the acceleration of the smart cart as the mass pulls the smart cart across the table. Stop recording
when the cart hits the book. Don't allow the cart to bounce back while you are recording data.
5. Question: What do you notice about the acceleration of the cart as shown on the graph?
The acceleration increases, and then when it hits the book it stays at the same acceleration.
6. Repeat the experiment with one weight placed on the smart cart. Place the weight so it will not fall off when the car
hits the book. Place these data on the same graph as the first run.
7. Repeat the trial with two weights on the smart cart and place this data on the same graph as the first two runs.
Click to display all three runs.
8. Zoom in to select the parts of the graph where the cart was moving across the track. Take a screenshot of the
graph that has been scaled to fit in the selected parts and shows all three runs. Paste it here, as Graph 3.
**10. Question. What do you notice happens to the acceleration as the mass is increased?
The acceleration decreases as the mass increases.

CONCLUSIONS
1. As force exerted on the car increases, what happens to the acceleration?
The acceleration increases as force is exerted on the cart.

2. What type of relationship do force and acceleration have? ( direct / inverse / no relationship)
Direct relationship

3. How does the double y-axis graph in part 2 support your answer to question #2?
In the part 2 graph as the force increases the acceleration increases as well, shown in the graph as all the
pints for force go on the same line as acceleration.

4. What can be said about the acceleration of the cart while it was being pulled by the mass hanger?
The acceleration increased and was greater when no mass was on the cart.

5. A. How did the acceleration change when one mass was added?
The acceleration decreased compared to the acceleration of the cart when there was no mass.

B. How did the acceleration change when two masses were added?
The acceleration decreased even more when two massed were added as it increased the mass of the cart.
Mass and acceleration have an inverse relationship which is why they decreased as mass increased.

C. Explain you answers to “A” and “B”. Why did that happen?
Acceleration and mass have a indirect relationship so as the mass increased the acceleration decreases.

6. If force is held constant, what relationship can be seen between mass and acceleration?

(direct / inverse / no relationship)

7. A student follows the procedure for part 3 but accidentally adds 4 masses to the smart cart for the last run instead of
2 masses. What would you expect that student’s graph to look like in comparison to the rest of the classes' graphs
(assuming they all followed directions)? Why?
The bar would be lower than the part two graph indicating a smaller acceleration compared to the
acceleration when there were 2 masses since more mass indicates a smaller acceleration.