UNIFORM ACCELERATION

Objectiv
ves

In
n this experriment, you will investiigate how tthe accelera
ation of a ccart rolling d
down
an inclin
ned track deepends on the angle of o inclinatio
on. From yo
our data, yoou will calculate
the acceeleration of an object in free-fall.

Theory

A cart of ma ass m on an incline will roll down

n the incline
e as it is pu
ulled by gra
avity.
The forcce of gravityy mg is sttraight dow wn as show n in Figuree 1. The com mponent off that
is paralle
el to the inc
clined surfa
ace is mg sinn .

Fig.1
F ody diagram of setup
Free bo

To
T determine the accelleration, you will releasse the cart from rest aand measurre
1 2
the time ( ) for it to travel a ce
ertain distan
nce d . Since d att , the acce
eleration ca
an be
2
2d
calculate
ed as a .
t2

A plot of versus will be

b a straig
ght line wiith a slope
e equal to
o the
accelera
ation of an object
o in fre
ee-fall, .
Materials Needed

Track with End Stop Cart Pivot Clamp

Other Required Equipment

Base and support rod Stopwatch Graph paper

Procedure

1. Set up the track as shown in Figure 2 with a pivot clamp and support stand.
Elevate the end of the track at a height ( ), of 15 cm.

Fig. 2 Equipment Set Up

2. Set the cart on the track against the end stop and record this final position in
Table 1. (Use the non-magnetic end of the cart so it touches the end stop.)

3. Pull the cart up to the top of the track and record the initial position where the cart
will be released from rest.

4. Release the cart from rest and use the stopwatch to time how long it takes the
cart to reach the end stop. The person who releases the cart should also operate
the stopwatch. Repeat this measurement 10 times (with different people doing
the timing). Record all the values in Table 1.

5. Lower the end of the track by 1 cm and repeat step 4. Use the same release
position.

6. Repeat step 4 for a total of 7 angles, lowering the end of the track by 1 cm for
each new angle.

Record this in Table 2.

Data Analysis
1. Calculate the average time for each angle and record it in Table 1.
2. Calculate the distance traveled, d, from the initial to the final position.
3. Use the distance traveled and average time to calculate the acceleration for each
angle and record it in Table 2.
4. Calculate for each angle by dividing the height of the track ( ) by the total
length of track (hypotenuse) and record it in table 2.
5. Plot acceleration versus . Draw the best-fit straight line and calculate its
slope [Note that since friction is ignored in this experiment, your best-fit line
must have a zero y-intercept]. Calculate the percent error between the slope and
g = 980 cm/s2.

REFERENCES

1. Physics Laboratory Experiments 4th Edition, Jerry D. Wilson @ 1994 D.C. Heath
and Company; Lexington, Massachusetts
2. Laboratory Manual In Conceptual Physics 2nd Edition, Bill W. Tillery @ 1995 Wm.
C. Brown Communications, Inc. Dubuque, IA
3. Laboratory Experiments in College Physics 7th Edition, Cicero H. Bernard,
Chirold D. Epp @ 1995, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York
4. Experiments in Physics 2nd Edition, Peter J. Nolan, and Raymond E. Bigliani @
1995 Wm. C. Brown Publishers; Dubuque, IA
Laboratory Group # & Name: __________________________________________________
Date Performed: __________________________________________________
Course Code & Section: __________________________________________________
Group Members: __________________________________________________
Julian Jedidiah
,
Kyle
__ ___________________________________
Pedrajas Lance Matthew
,

__ ___________________________________

Table 1: Position and time of a cart rolling down an incline

Initial Release position 18-5

Final Position 120

Distance traveled (d) 101.5

Height of Track,

Time 15 cm 14 cm 13 cm 12 cm 11 cm 10 cm 9 cm

Trial 1 1.52 1.43 1.67 1.88 1.82 2-32 2.45

Trial 2 1-30 1.63 2-62

1.46 2.11 7.89 2.31

Trial 3 1.27 2.03 1.90 2.56

1.44 1-60 2.44
-

Trial 4 1.46 1.24 1.66 2.11 7.85 2.38

2.57

Trial 5 1- 5° 1.24 1.63 2.15 1.86 2.43 2.68

Trial 6 1.46 1.48 1.64 2.03 1.84 2.48 2.53

Trial 7 1.92 1.36 1-63 2.09 1.87

2.34
2-54

Trial 8 1.44
1.39 1.69 2.18 1.41 2.43 2.57

Trial 9 1.51 1.34 1-72 2.07 1.90 2.34 2.70

Trial 10 I. 42 1.52 1.66 2.13 1.86 2- 38 2.61

Average 2.39
Time 1.46 1.35 1.69 2.07 1.87 2.58

2.69
double
cart
 Table 2: Acceleration of a cart rolling down an incline

Height, Acceleration,

15 cm

14 cm

13 cm

12 cm

11 cm

10 cm

9 cm

Slope

% Error

Questions

1. Does your reaction time in operating the stopwatch cause a greater percentage
error at higher or lower track angles?

2. How will doubling the mass of the cart affect the results? Try it.
 PHYSICS DEPARTME ENT
College of Science
De La Sallee University - Manila
M

UNIIFORM ACCELE
A ERATION
N
Guide
e Question
ns
40%
4 of the Written Re
eport (Gro
oup Reportt) Grade

1. In this experimeent, as the height of one

o end of the inclined d plane is iincreased, what
happpens to (a) the
t time ne eeded for th
he cart to go
o down the
e inclined pllane and (b
b) the
acceeleration of the cart?

2. Baseed from thee data, wha at relationship exists b

between thhe acceleraation of the
e cart
and sin (or )? ? What is the slope of o the plot of accelera
ation versuss sin ? Hoow is
the slope
s of the plot related
d to the accceleration d
due to gravity (g)?

3. Analy
yzing the data, what happens
h to the results (time, acce
eleration, a
and slope) w
when
the height
h is in
ncreased fuurther? Do oes the accceleration and/or slo ope approaach a
cons
stant value?? If yes, wh
hat do you think
t will the
e constant value be?

4. Does
s doubling the mass of the cart have any effect on tthe results?
? Explain your
answ
wer.

5. Identtify possible
e sources of
o error in th
his experim
ment and exxplain how these will a
affect
the data?
d