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Force and Acceleration on Frictionless Surface

The document outlines an investigation into how the acceleration of an object on a frictionless surface changes with varying applied forces, based on Newton's Second Law. A toy car was used in a simulation to measure the effects of different forces on acceleration, with results recorded for analysis. The independent variable was the applied force, while acceleration was the dependent variable, with controlled conditions maintained throughout the experiment.

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ausamr2002
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27 views5 pages

Force and Acceleration on Frictionless Surface

The document outlines an investigation into how the acceleration of an object on a frictionless surface changes with varying applied forces, based on Newton's Second Law. A toy car was used in a simulation to measure the effects of different forces on acceleration, with results recorded for analysis. The independent variable was the applied force, while acceleration was the dependent variable, with controlled conditions maintained throughout the experiment.

Uploaded by

ausamr2002
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Inquiry Question:

“How does the acceleration of an object change depending on the force applied
on a frictionless surface?”

Aim:
To investigate how varying the magnitude of an applied force affects the
acceleration of an object moving on a frictionless surface, using a physics
simulation.

Hypothesis:
If the force applied to an object on a frictionless surface increases, then its
acceleration will increase proportionally, because according to Newton’s
Second Law (F = ma), acceleration is directly proportional to the net force
when mass is constant.

List of equipment:
●​ small toy car.
●​ flat tile (for a smooth surface).
●​ Spring scale (to measure force applied)
●​ stopwatch to measure time
●​ digital weight scale.
●​ Calculator (for calculations)
Because there is no frictionless surface in real life, I used a simulator instead.
Method:
1. A toy car was placed on a smooth flat tile.

2. A straight distance of 1 meter was measured and marked using a ruler.

3. A spring scale was attached to the front of the car.

4. The car was pulled gently using the spring scale, and the applied force was
kept as steady as possible (e.g. 2 N).

5. A stopwatch was used to record the time taken for the car to travel the
1-meter distance.

6. The procedure was repeated three times for each force, and the average
time was calculated.

7. The applied force was increased (e.g. to 4 N and 6 N), and steps 4 to 6 were
repeated for each new force.

8. For each trial, acceleration was calculated using the formula:


−2
𝐴 = 2𝑑𝑡

9. All the results were recorded in a table for analysis.

In the end, since there is no frictionless surface in real life, I used a simulator
to do this experiment to have more accuracy by calculating the acceleration
on a frictionless surface.
​
​
​
Variables:
The independent variable is the force applied (N)​
−2
The dependent variable is acceleration (𝑚𝑠 )
The controlled variables:​
the mass of the box in the simulator (kept constant at 50kg)
Surface type (frictionless)​
Distance measured (fixed at 100m)​
Method of applying force (pulling by a rope)

Results:
First hand data for force and acceleration were recorded directly from PhET
Forces and motion, which calculated the values based on programmed
physics engine.
Calculations:

Force (N) −2
Acceleration (𝑚𝑠 )

50 1

100 2

150 3

200 4

250 5

300 6

350 7

400 8

450 9

500 10

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