Alex Lee

September 27, 2011

AP Physics B
Forces and Systems Formal Lab

O Background
The Iollowing lab will explore the basic idea oI Iorces and Irictions on an object that is
accelerating. A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting Irom the
object's interaction with another object. There are other Iactors to be considered in the lab
which are applied Iorces, Irictional Iorces, normal Iorces, and Iorce due to gravity. An
applied force is a Iorce that is applied to an object by a person or another object. For
example, iI a person is pushing a desk across the room, then there is applied Iorce acting
upon the object. The applied Iorce is the Iorce exerted on the desk by the person. The
friction force is a Iorce exerted by a surIace as an object moves across it or makes an eIIort
to move across it. There are at least two types oI Iriction Iorce - kinetic and static Iriction. An
example oI kinetic Iriction would be when the Iorce that makes your Ioot slips as you walk
on the ground; an example oI static Iriction would be when the Iorce that prevents a car
wheel Irom slipping as it rolls on the ground. The normal force is the support Iorce exerted
upon an object that is in contact with another stable object. The force of gravity is the
downward pull on an object Irom the earth. By deIinition, this is the weight oI the object.
The Iorce oI gravity on earth is always equal to the weight oI the object as Iound by the
equation: WMg (where M is the mass in kg, and g is gravy, which it equals 9.8m/s`2).
During the lab, the mass will move in 3 diIIerent ways: Ilat surIace, incline, and decline. We
determine the tension in the string and the acceleration oI the system by experimentally and
theoretically Ior all three experiments then the percentage error in the acceleration. Lastly,
we will Iind out how 'Irictionless is the air track is. Also, we will determine the Irictional
Iorce and the coeIIicient oI Iriction. I will list the procedures Ior the lab and show a
schematic diagram Ior the experiment with explanations. At the results section, I will include
all the variables, units, measure quantities, calculations, and other inIormation Ior all three
experiments. Lastly, we will Iind the percentage error oI the theoretical and experimental
part oI all three experiments and explain about how the experiment was.
There are many things we can expect and assume. We can expect that Frictionless System on
a level plane or Ilat surIace`s mass will have more acceleration than the Frictionless System
on an incline. We can assume this, because it takes more time Ior the mass to travel an
incline plane as the smaller mass Ialls on the ground. However, the Frictionless System on a
level plane will have less acceleration than the Frictionless System on a decline. We can
assume this also, because it takes less time Ior the mass to travel a decline plane as the
smaller mass Ialls on the ground. Also, there is Iriction in the lab (although it`s called
Irictionless lab), because there has to be a Iorce that holds back the movement oI a sliding
object. Friction is a Iorce oI opposition. You will Iind Iriction everywhere that objects come
into contact with each other. The Iorce acts in the opposite direction to the way an object
wants to slide. We will try solving the Iriction in all three experiments by using diIIerent
equations.

Equations used in this lab will be:
_Fma
Where _F is the 'thesumoItheIorcesor the'netIorce
m is the mass measured in kg
a is the acceleration

x at
Where is x is the distance in meters
a is the acceleration
t is the time in seconds



O LxperlmenLs
In this experiment, there will be two groups that will Iind the acceleration and the tension.
First group will be the theoretical group and the second one will be the experimental group. It
is as it says; the theoretical group will illustrate the lab and calculate Ior all three experiments.
They will use mathematics to Iind everything in all three experiments like time, acceleration,
tension, Iriction, coeIIicient Iriction with given masses and distance. The experimental group
will actually perIorm the experiments in the lab. They will use photogate, air track, string,
mass, smaller mass, vacuum pump, and a book. They will Iollow the procedures that were
taught in the class by the wonderIul teacher AKA Dr. Powell. The procedures were to Iirst
set the air track on the stand then put the mass on the top oI the air track. Insert the vacuum
pump in to the air track (air should come out oI the holes). Now place the photogate at a
certain distance which our group placed Iirst one on 900 millimeters or .9 meters and the
second one at 1300 millimeters or 1.3 meters making 400 millimeters or .4 meters diIIerence.
Have a person get a string and tie the mass with the smaller mass. Next get another person to
hold the mass on the air track. Someone else will get the smaller mass to hang Irom the air
track by placing it on the pulley and leaving it to hang. Now a new person will reset the
photogate and make sure that string doesn`t aIIect the photogate. Make sure that the person
who is holding the mass to put the mass beIore the Iirst photogate which is beIore 900
millimeters. Once everything is ready, have the person holding the mass to let go oI the mass.
Now your time will be calculated in seconds on the photogate. You might want to repeat the
procedure to make sure the time is accurate. This is what you would do Ior the experiment
Ior the level plane or Ilat surIace. On the incline plane, all the procedures would be same, but
you would need to put something like a book below the air track to give you an incline plane.
You would want the book to be on the bottom oI air track where your hanging smaller mass
is besides it and below the pulley. Now repeat the procedures you did Ior the level plane and
get time. Now repeat the procedures you did Ior the level plane and get the time. Also, make
sure to test multiple times just in case, because something might have gone wrong and to see
iI it`s accurate. Just like the incline plane, all the procedures Ior the decline plane would be
same, and you would need to put something like a book below the air track to give you a
decline plane. You would want the book to be on the bottom oI air track where you inserted
the vacuum pump which is the opposite side oI the pulley and the smaller mass hanging.
Now repeat the procedures you did Ior the level plane and get the time. Again, make sure to
test multiple times just in case, because something might have gone wrong and to see iI it`s
accurate.









$chematic Diagram:
8ook
vacuum pump
Alr Lrack
Mass
Smaller mass
ulley
hoLogaLe 1
hoLogaLe 2