Investigating Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion using an Air-track Introduction: My experiment is investigating the Newton’s 2nd law of motion by using an Air-track. The air-track can make the trolley frictionless by testing the velocity with different weights and shows that F=ma. Research question: How much acceleration does the frictionless trolley has? Aim: Use the air track to measure the acceleration of the no friction trolley by hanging with different mass of weights. Apparatus: * 1 air track * Weights (40g, 50g, 60g, 70g, 80g, 90g, 100g) * 1 string (bigger than 200cm) (plastic) 1 frictionless trolley (160g) * 1 pair of scissors * 2 sensors * 2 clamps * 1 ruler * 2 light gates * 1 Pulley * 1 data logger Variables: Independent: the mass pulls down the frictionless trolley. Dependent: the time taken when the frictionless trolley travel through two light gates. Fix: the distance of the light gates and the height of the light gates. Uncertainties: The strength of the plastic string after pulling a lot of weights. Procedure: 1. Put two light gates 50 cm between each other, the lights gates hanging by the clamps. 2.
Hang the string one side to the frictionless trolley and another side on the hook which for hanging the weights. 3. Put the string on the wheel. 4. Put the frictionless trolley on the air-track at the distance of 170 cm. 5. Hang 40 g weights on the hook. 6. The frictionless trolley move forwards by the weights. The light gates will automatically recording the speed of the trolley takes and record down the data on the data logger. 7. Repeat the lab 5 times and do with other weights 50g, 60g, 70g, 80g, 90g, 100g as the same procedure. Diagram: Out line (not to scale): How the air track works:
Air track is a device use for study motion in low friction environment. The air pump out of the small holes on the track and that allows the trolley got lifted and frictionless. Data Table: Conclusion The newton’s second law is the rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the unbalanced force acting on the body and takes place in same direction. It’s according to my lab that the trolley is moving in one direction. Also the graph shows the a curve which shows the change of momentum is directly proportional to the unbalanced force olley. acting on the t
