Training for Research

School of Physics, Faculty of Science

Industrial University of Santander
We build the future

STUDY OF THE MOVEMENT OF A SLIDER

ON AN AIR RAIL UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF A CONSTANT FORCE
Brayan Leonardo Moreno Celis. 2215106 – Systems Engineering.
Neider Alirio Piza Basto. 2225613 – Systems Engineering.
Yerson Guillermo Antolínez Peña. 2225611 – Systems Engineering.
Miguel Ángel Suárez Suárez. 2225650 – Mechanical Engineering.

"The good thing about science is that it is true regardless of whether you believe in it or not"
Neil de Grasse Tyson

SUMMARY
The laboratory carried out corresponds to Newton's second law, which tells us about dynamics and we
know that it is the branch of physics that studies the movement of bodies or objects taking into account
the causes that generate it. In practice, the acceleration was analyzed, and we could observe that the
mass of the weight support remained constant and on the other hand the mass of the slider changed and
increased. During this process, speed, mass, and distance traveled are recorded to calculate acceleration
using a formula. The objective of the laboratory is to determine the functional relationship that exists
between the acceleration, force, and mass of an object, where the relationship between these three
dimensions can be observed satisfactorily graphically and mathematically.

INTRODUCTION
This document consists of six parts: Methods, which will describe the procedures and equipment used in
practice; data processing, which will ensure the application of the data obtained in the laboratory; analysis
of results, where the data taken during the practice and the margin of error obtained will be exposed;
Conclusion, considering the previous points, ending the document we have: The bibliography, in which
the bibliography used in the preparation of this report will be cited. In this physics laboratory, the behavior
of two objects connected by a string was studied: a slider on a frictionless air track and a suspended mass
at the end of the same track. Newton's second law is used to describe and understand the motion of this
system. The friction force is the contact force between an object and a surface, so in this study we look
for a way to reduce this force using air expelled through the rail channels, nullifying the fiction, since if
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 Training for Research
School of Physics, Faculty of Science
Industrial University of Santander
We build the future

there is no contact between two surfaces there is no friction. The main purpose of this practice is to study
the movement of an object, in this case, a sliding car, under the influence of a particular constant force,
the acceleration of the system is determined by changing the mass of the pulley and slider. Through
experimental analysis of the acceleration, force, and mass of the system, the directly proportional
relationship is determined in Newton's second law.

METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this experiment is to find out the acceleration applied to the slider and its effect on it. To
carry out the experiment, the materials used were: a slider, an air rail, two sensors with their respective
support and cable, a flap of 0.011m, a ruler, a weight support, a hook, weights, a cell phone with the
Sparkvue program that will help us calculate the speed that the slider acquires when passing the flap
through the sensors.

• The first thing to do is to link the application with the interface via Bluetooth.
• We proceed to measure with the triple arm balance the total mass of the system formed by the
mass of the slider and the weights that were used and leave the bases of the IR rail on a horizontal
surface so as not to obtain an angle of inclination, this in order that the slider does not accelerate
in any direction to be released.
• Then a starting point must be defined for all the outputs of the slider, the two sensors are placed
in their respective places, always maintaining the same distance in all tests.
• The pulley snaps to the left end of the rail and attaches to the force hook found on the dynamic
slider.

• Subsequently, we proceed to perform the three tests where 3 different masses are placed on the
slider, representing m1, and the mass of the weight support, representing m2, remains constant.
• The data provided by the Sparkvue program are recorded, where v1 and v2 were calculated in
the tests performed.
• With the data collected in the information tables, we proceed to start with the respective
calculations with the formulas of average, acceleration and error percentages, among other
things, we can complete the missing data in table 1 and table 2.

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School of Physics, Faculty of Science
Industrial University of Santander
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DATA PROCESSING

Table 1. Recording of data collected in practice.

Mass [g]
Speed [m⁄s]
Tests
m1 m2 v1 v2
1 202 20 0.43 0.45
2 302 20 0.36 0.80
3 402 20 0.32 0.70

Image 1. Illustration of test 1.

M1=202g

M2=20g

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Industrial University of Santander
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Image 2. Illustration of test 2.

M1=302g

M2=20g

Image 3. Illustration of test 3.

M1=402g

M2=20g

Table 2. Data to determine the margin of error.

1 0.512 0.882 0.41

2 0.364 0.607 0.44
3 0.276 0.446 1.123

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School of Physics, Faculty of Science
Industrial University of Santander
We build the future

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
Table 1 shows the data recorded in laboratory practice, in which you can observe what logically should
happen and that is, the lower the mass, the greater the acceleration that the object uses in the movement,
thus allowing to give an approximation of the acceleration.

Observing the results found through the treatment of the data in table 2, a great closeness can be
observed in the values of theoretical and experimental acceleration, so it can be inferred that there was
good data management, in the case of test 2 it is evident that the percentage of error was high compared
to the others, which means a big difference between theoretical and experimental acceleration, this could
occur due to poor data recording at the time of laboratory practice.

CONCLUSIONS
The gravitational force affects the entire universe and most objects that are equal to it, including the
ecosystem. This force exerts an acceleration or an attraction towards the earth that allows us to be
subjected to it and not be levitating. During laboratory practice, it was observed how this force was exerted
on the hanging object, which was reaching the ground as a result of this force. It can be concluded that
Newton's second law is a phenomenon that applies daily since the simple act of riding a skateboard or
opening a microwave door applies this law. Acceleration and speed are also other phenomena that is
constantly experienced and evidenced in any means of transport. All these phenomena were also applied
and analyzed in practice and in the development of this report.

REFERENCES
Interpretation of variables.pdf. (n.d.). Google Docs. Retrieved on June 12, 2022, from
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KF5mXMRQxaTeFeLIh6SftQEf0ivA6VcP/view

Valcarce, A. (n/d.). Physics: Dynamics Basic Concepts and Problems. Puc. cl. Retrieved on June 12, 2022,
from https://www.astro.puc.cl/~avalcarc/FIS109A/08_Dinamica.pdf

Statics and Dynamics. (n.d.). Ingemecanica.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2022, from
https://ingemecanica.com/tutoriales/dinamica.html

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 Training for Research
School of Physics, Faculty of Science
Industrial University of Santander
We build the future

ANNEXES

Annex 1. Air rail and photosensors.

Annex 2. Spreadsheets.