SUDHIR MEMORIAL INSTITUTE

PHYSICS ACTIVITY FILE

TOPIC: TO INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN THE VELOCITY OF A

BODY UNDER THE ACTION OF A CONSTANT FORCE AND
TO DETERMINE ITS ACCELERATION

[session-2025-2026]

Name – Adrija Ghosal

Class – XI
Section – Science (Combined)
Roll number – 03
 INDEX

TOPIC PAGE NUMBER

CERTIFICATE 2
DECLARATION 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4
AIM OF PEOJECT 5
INTRODUCTION 7–9
THEORY 10–13
APPARARTUS REQUIRED 14
LAW 15–16
CONCLUSION 17–18
BIBLIOGRAPHY 19

CERTIFICATE

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This is to certify that ADRIJA GHOSAL of class XI of
completed her project in Physics on the topic “TO
INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN THE VELOCITY OF A
BODY UNDER THE ACTION OF A CONSTANT
FORCE AND TO DETERMINE ITS ACCELERATION”
for the partial fulfilment of AISSCE as prescribed by the
CBSE in the year 2025 - 2026.

_______________
Internal examiner

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project work entitled “TO

INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN THE VELOCITY OF A
BODY UNDER THE ACTION OF A CONSTANT
FORCE AND TO DETERMINE ITS ACCELERATION”,
submitted to the department of Physics of Sudhir
Memorial Institute under the guidance of our teacher is a
record of original work done by me and it fulfils all the
conditions set by CBSE.

_____________________
Signature of the candidate

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to
my teacher as well as our principal sir who gave me the
golden opportunity to do this wonderful project which
also helped me in doing a lot of Research and I came to
know about so many new things. I am really thankful to
them.

Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and

friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project
within the limited time frame.

AIM

To investigate changes in the velocity of a bod under the

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action of a constant force and to determine its
acceleration.

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 Figure 1

Figure 2

INTRODUCTION
1. Ticker Timer: A ticker timer is a device that can be used to measure short time intervals
(of about 0.02s) to a very high degree of accuracy. As shown in the figure 1, it consists of
steel strip T placed between the poles of a horse-shoe magnet. The strip is made to vibrate
at a constant frequency with the help of an electromagnet.

A pointed tip at the peak end of the vibrating strip strikes a small carbon paper disc below
which a paper tape is pulled by moving/oscillating object.

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 As the strip vibrates, its pointed tip marks a dot on the paper tape after every complete
vibration. Thus, dot marks are obtained on the paper tape at regular intervals of time. The
time interval between two consecutive dots is called a tick. When the electromagnet runs
on 6 V step-down ac supply, the strip vibrates at the frequency of 50 Hz i.e., at the
frequency of ac mains. The measured time interval for one tick or between two
consecutive dot narks will be 1/100s or 0.02s. Thus, a ticker timer can be used to measure
accurately time interval of the order of 0.02s.

2. Determination of acceleration from the record of paper tape: Figure 2 shows a record of
the positions of a moving object as corresponding dots on the paper tape of the ticker
timer. Let us calculate the speed of the moving object from this record.

Let s1, s2, s3, … be the distances between two successive dots, say of ten dots, on the tape
measured from a dot marked A with a metre scale.

Frequency of vibrator of ticker timer = Frequency of ac supply = 50Hz

Time interval between 2 successive dots = 1/50 s = 0.02s

Time taken for covering 10 dots (or covering displacements s1, s2, s3, …) = 0,02×10 = 0.2s

Average speed over distance s1, v1= (s1 cm/0.2s) = _______ cm s^-1

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Average speed over distance s2, v2= (s2 cm/0.2s) = _______ cm s^-1

Increase in speed over time interval of 0.2s,

v2 - v1 = (s2/0.2) – (s1/0.2) = ______ cm s^-1
Average acceleration, aav = (v2-v1/0.2) = (s2-s1/0.2 × 0.20) = ______ cm s^-1

Moreover, average acceleration can also be determined by plotting v-t graph and finding
its slope

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 THEORY
PROCEDURE
1. Clean the upper surface of the long horizontal table and also clean the wheels
of the trolley. See that the trolley moves freely on the table on giving a small
push to it.
2. Check the pulley fixed on the bumper rotates freely. If necessary, oil it.
3. As shown in Figure 3, set up the ticker timer at one end of the long horizontal
table using a G-clamp. Fix the bumper (a rectangular wooden block fitted with
a pulley) at the other end of the table using two G-clamps. Ensure that the
steel strip of the timer and the upper edge of the pulley are in the same
horizontal line.
4. Place the trolley in between the timer and the bumper. Take a suitable length
of a strong thread. Tie one end of the thread to the trolley and, after passing it
over a frictionless pulley fixed on the bumper, tie its other end to a hanger to
which slotted weights can be slipped on.
5. Adjust the length of the thread so that when the trolley is brought near the
timer, the hanger lies near the pulley.
6. Bring the trolley near the timer and release it. Observe its motion. If it moves
too fast, place one or two 1 kg weights on the trolley. Adjust slotted weights in
the hanger till the trolley moves at a moderate speed i.e., neither too fast nor
too slow
7. Hold the trolley in a position near the timer. Attach free end of the paper tape
to the trolley and see that its other end is passing under the carbon paper disc.
8. Switch on the ticker timer and release the trolley. Check that the trolley gains
sufficient speed till the hanger touches the ground, and thereafter it is stopped
by the bumper. During the motion of the trolley, dots are marked on the paper
tape by the vibrator.
9. Label the dots as P which is under the tip of the vibrator at the instant the
hanger touches the ground. This is the limiting position up to which the
trolley is accelerated by the constant force, and thereafter the force stops
acting on the trolley.
10. Remove the portion of the tape, marked by dots, from the timer.

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Figure 4

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 Select a dot near the starting position and label it as A. Use it as a reference
point for measuring displacements.
1. Next to dot A, start counting the number of dots and mark point B on 10th dot,
point C on 20th dot, point D on 30th dot, and so on. With a half-metre scale,
measure the distances AB, BC, CD, etc. and record them in a tabular form.
2. Calculate the average speeds during the different intervals of time. These
average speeds can be regarded as the instantaneous speeds at the midpoints
of the corresponding time intervals.
3. Plot a graph of speed vs. time. This graph represents the motion of the trolley
under a constant force. To determine acceleration of the trolley, find the slope
of the speed-time graph.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

Mass of hanger = _____ kg
Mass of hanger + Mass of weights in the hanger = _____kg
Mass of trolley = ______kg
Mass of trolley + Mass of weights placed in the trolley = _____kg

[Link]. Part of tape Tick interval Time Distance covered vav=s/t Midpoint of
t (s) s (cm) (cm s^-1) time
interval (s)
1. AB 0 – 10 0.2s s1 = 2.2 v1 = 2.2/0.2 = 5×0.2=1.0s
11
2. BC 10 – 20 0.2s s2 = 4.1 v2 = 4.1/0.2 = 15×0.2=3.0s
20.5
3. CD 20 – 30 0.2s s3 = 5.7 v3 =5.7/0.2 = 25×0.2=5.0s
28.5
… … … … … … …
… … … … … … …

PLOTTING GRAPH
Choosing suitable scales for both axes, plot velocity-time or et graph by taking values
along Y-axis and midpoints of corresponding time intervals along X-axis. Draw the best
fitting line through the plotted points, as shown in Figure 4.

Average acceleration of the trolley, aav = Slope of v-t graph = MN/LN = _____ cm s^-2

RESULTS
1. Speed of the trolley increases with time uniformly as constant force acts on it.

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 2. Within the limits of experiment error, acceleration of the trolley is found to be constant
and its value is ______ cm s^-2.

PRECAUTIONS
1. Surface of the horizontal table and wheels of the trolley should be clean and smooth.
2. Pulley should be frictionless. If necessary, oil it.
3. Ensure that the ticker-timer and bumper are rigidly fixed on the table.
4. Before taking the observations, check that the ticker timer works properly by slowly
pulling the paper tape through it.
5. Ticks in the beginning when the trolley begins to move and at the time when the force
ceases to act, should be marked properly for the accurate measurement of distances and
calculation of velocity and acceleration.
6. Keep the paper tape taut during its run through the timer.

SOURCES OF ERROR
1. The positions of ticker timer and bumper may get disturbed while taking observations.
2. It is difficult to select and mark the dots accurately when the force ceases to act.
3. Dots may not have been counted properly.

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APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Ticker timer, long paper tape, a long horizontal table, a

bumper (a heavy rectangular wooden block of wood)
fitted with a pulley, a trolley, three G-clamps, 2 or 3 kg
weights, a hanger, slotted weights, a strong thread, a
spring balance.

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 LAW
The core law used in the topic “TO INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN THE VELOCITY OF A
BODY UNDER THE ACTION OF A CONSTANT FORCE AND TO DETERMINE ITS
ACCELERATION” is Newton’s Second Law of Motion.
This experiment is designed to demonstrate that when a constant unbalanced force acts on an
object, it produces a constant acceleration. By measuring the change in velocity over a specific
period of time, you can verify the mathematical relationship that defines how objects move under
force.
The Physics Principles:
Newton's Second Law: It states that the acceleration (a) of an object is directly proportional to
the net force (F) acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (m).
The Formula:
F=ma
Where:
F is the constant force (often provided by a hanging weight).
m is the total mass being moved (trolley + weights).
a is the acceleration.
How the Law is Applied in the Experiment:
In a typical laboratory setup, a trolley is pulled across a horizontal track by a string attached to a
hanging mass. Because the weight of the hanging mass is constant, the force pulling the trolley is
also constant.
Measuring Velocity: You use a device like a ticker timer or photogates to record the displacement
of the trolley at regular time intervals.
Calculating Acceleration: Since the force is constant, the velocity increases at a steady rate. You
calculate acceleration using the kinematic relationship:
a= v – u / t
(Where v is final velocity, u is initial velocity, and t is time).
Verification: By plotting a graph of velocity vs. time, you should get a straight line. The slope of
this line represents the constant acceleration (a). If you repeat the experiment with different
forces (hanging masses), you can prove that a is proportional to F.

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 CONCLUSION
The conclusion of an investigation into the changes in velocity under a constant force is the
verification of Newton's Second Law of Motion.
The experiment consistently demonstrates that a body subjected to a constant unbalanced force
does not move at a constant speed, but rather at a constantly increasing speed (uniform
acceleration).
Core Findings:
The results of this investigation lead to three primary conclusions:
Constant Acceleration: When a constant net force acts on a body of constant mass, the body
undergoes uniform acceleration. This is shown by a linear increase in velocity over time.

Direct Proportionality (a∝F): The acceleration of the body is directly proportional to the
magnitude of the net force. If the force is doubled, the acceleration doubles (provided mass
remains constant).

Inverse Proportionality (a∝1/m): The acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the
body. If the mass is doubled while the force stays the same, the acceleration is halved.
Graphical Evidence:
The conclusion is typically supported by analyzing two specific types of graphs:
Velocity-Time Graph (v vs. t): Produces a straight line passing through the origin. The gradient
(slope) of this line is constant, proving that the acceleration (a= Δv/ Δt) is constant.
Acceleration-Force Graph (a vs. F): Produces a straight line through the origin, confirming that
a∝F. The gradient of this graph represents the reciprocal of the mass (1/m).
The Mathematical Result:
The experiment validates the fundamental equation of dynamics:
F=ma
Where:
F is the constant net force (measured in Newtons, N).
m is the total mass of the system (measured in kg).
a is the resulting constant acceleration (measured in m/s^2)

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Note on Experimental Reality: In a real laboratory setting, the graph of F vs. a might not pass
exactly through the origin due to friction. A small amount of "compensating force" is usually
required just to get the body moving before it begins to accelerate.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. [Link]
newtons-laws-of-motion/5-7-3-required-practical-investigating-force-and-acceleration/
2. [Link]
3. [Link]
4. [Link]
5. [Link]

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