Name _____________________

Class ______________

Date _________

Activity P08: Newton's Second Law - Constant Force

(Force Sensor, Motion Sensor)
Concept
Newtons Laws

DataStudio
P08 Constant Force.DS

Equipment Needed
Economy Force Sensor (CI-6746)
Motion Sensor (CI-6742)
Balance (SE-8723)
Dynamics Cart (inc. w/ Track)

ScienceWorkshop (Mac)
P11 Constant Force
Qty
1
1
1
1

ScienceWorkshop (Win)
P11_CONF.SWS

Equipment Needed
Mass and Hanger Set (ME-8967)
String (SE-8050)
Super Pulley w/ Clamp (ME-9448A)
1.2 m Track System (ME-9435A)

Qty
1
1m
1
1

What Do You Think?

ThepurposeofthisactivityistostudyNewtonsSecondLaw. UsingNewtonsSecondLaw,
whathappenstoanobjectsaccelerationiftheforceappliedtotheobjectisincreasedbutthe
objectsmassremainsconstant?
TaketimetoanswertheWhatDoYouThink?question(s)intheLabReportsection.
Background

Newtondescribedtherelationshipbetweenacceleration,force,
andmassasfollows:
Theaccelerationofanobjectisdirectlyproportionaltoandin
thesamedirectionasthenetforce,andinverselyproportional
tothemassoftheobject:

aisacceleration,Fnetisnetforce,andmismass.
ApplyingNewtonsSecondLawtothestaticsetupusedinthisactivityforanobjectaccelerated
bytheweightofahangingmass,neglectingfriction,theaccelerationoftheobjectandhanging
masscanbewrittenas:

SAFETY REMINDER

Do not let the cart run away from the user. Catch the cart before the
cart crashes into the bumper or travels off the table.

Follow directions for using equipment.

For You To Do

Forthisactivity,useaMotionSensortomeasurethemotionofacartthatispulledbystring
attachedtoahangingmassthatissuspendedoverapulley.UseaForceSensormountedonthe
carttomeasuretheforcethatacceleratesthecart.Next,useDataStudioorScienceWorkshopto
plotandanalyzethedata.
P08

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 51

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1

P08: Newton's Second Law - Constant Force

Student Workbook
012-07000A

PART I: Computer Setup

1.

ConnecttheScienceWorkshopinterfacetothe
computer,turnontheinterface,andturnonthe
computer.

2.

ConnecttheMotionSensorsphoneplugstoDigital
Channels1and2ontheinterface.Plugtheyellow
banded(pulse)plugintoDigitalChannel1andthe
secondplug(echo)intoDigitalChannel2.

3.

ConnecttheDINplugoftheForceSensorto
AnalogChannelA.

4.

Openthedocumenttitledasshown:
DataStudio
P08 Constant Force.DS

ScienceWorkshop (Mac)
P11 Constant Force

ScienceWorkshop (Win)
P11_CONF.SWS

TheDataStudiodocumenthasaWorkbookdisplay.ReadtheinstructionsintheWorkbook.

TheScienceWorkshopdocumenthasaGraphdisplaywithVelocityversusTimeanda
TabledisplayofForce.

Datarecordingissetfor200samplespersecond(200Hz)fortheForceSensor.

PART II: Sensor Calibration and Equipment Setup

YoudonotneedtocalibratetheMotionSensor.

TocalibratetheForceSensor,refertothedescriptionintheForceSensorManual.

1.

PlacetheDynamicsTrackonahorizontalsurface.LeveltheDynamicsTrackbyplacing
theDynamicsCartontheDynamicsTrack.Ifthecartrollsonewayortheother,usethe
AdjustableFeetatoneendoftheDynamicsTracktoraiseorlowerthatenduntilthe
DynamicsTrackislevelandthecartdoesnotrollonewayortheother.

2.

AttachapulleytotherightendoftheDynamicsTrack.PlacetheMotionSensorattheleft
endofthetrack.

3.

UsethethumbscrewincludedwiththeForceSensortomountthesensorontothe
accessorytrayofthecart.

4.

CarefullymeasureandrecordthetotalmassofthecartandForceSensorintheLabReport
section.

5.

PlacethecartontheDynamicsTracksothehookendoftheForceSensorpointsaway
fromtheMotionSensor.Thecartwillbepulledawayfromthesensor.Thecartmust
remainaminimumdistanceawayfromthesensor.Theminimumdistancefromthesensor
toitstargetisdependentuponthemotionsensorused.RefertotheMotionSensorManual
todeterminetheminimumdistance.PutamarkontheDynamicsTracktheminimum
distancefromthemotionsensor(15or40cm).

p. 52

1999 PASCO scientific

P08

Name _____________________

Class ______________

Date _________

6.

Useastringthatis10cmlongerthanthelengthneededtoreachthefloorwhenthecartis
nexttothepulley.AttachoneendtotheForceSensorshook.

7.

Add20or30gramsofmasstothemasshanger.

8.

CarefullymeasureandrecordthetotalmassofthemassandmasshangerintheLab
Reportsection.

9.

Attachthemasshangertotheotherendofthestring,andputthestringinthepulleys
groove.AdjusttheheightofthepulleysothestringisparalleltotheDynamicsTrack.

Tofastenthestringtothemasshanger,wrapthestringfourorfiveturnsaroundthe
notchedareaofthemasshanger.

PART III: Data Recording

1.

PullthecarttowardtheleftendoftheDynamicsTrackbutkeepthecartatleastthe
minimumdistancefromtheMotionSensor.Donotletthemasshangerbumpintothe
pulley.

2.

Priortoeachdatarun,supportthehangingmasssothatthestringisnotpullingonthe
ForceSensor.PushthetarebuttonontheForceSensortozerotheForceSensor.

3.

Startrecordingdataandthenreleasethecart.

4.

Stopdatarecordingbeforethecartreachesthepulley.

5.

Stopthecartbeforeitcollideswiththepulley.

P08

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 53

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1

P08: Newton's Second Law - Constant Force

Student Workbook
012-07000A

Analyzing the Data

1.

Clickanddragthecursortodrawarectanglearoundtheregionofthevelocityvs.timeplot
thatshowsthemovementofthecart.Result:Theareawillbehighlighted.

2.

SelecttheLinearcurvefit.Theslopeofthevelocityvs.timeplotistheaverage
accelerationofthecart.

InDataStudio,clicktheFitmenubutton(

InScienceWorkshopclicktheStatisticsbuttontoopentheStatisticsareaontherightside

).SelectLinear.

oftheGraph.IntheStatisticsarea,clicktheStatisticsMenubutton(
Fit,LinearFitfromtheStatisticsMenu.

).SelectCurve

3.

RecordtheslopeofthelinearfitintheDataTableintheLabReportsection.

4.

Usingthemeasuredmassvalues,calculateandrecordthetheoreticalaccelerationofthe
systemintheLabReportsection.

5.

UsetheStatisticstooltofindtheaverage(mean)forcefromtheTabledisplay.

IntheForceTable,clickonthestatisticsbutton
intheDataTableintheLabReportsection.

6.

Usingthemeasuredmassvalue,calculateandrecordtheforceexertedonthecartand
ForceSensor.RecordtheresultintheDataTable.

.Recordthemeanvalueoftheforce

Record your results in the Lab Report section.

p. 54

1999 PASCO scientific

P08

Name _____________________

Class ______________

Date _________

Lab Report - Activity P08: Newton's Second Law Constant Force

What Do You Think?

UsingNewtonsSecondLaw,whathappenstoanobjectsaccelerationiftheforceappliedtothe
objectisincreasedbuttheobjectsmassremainsconstant?

Data Table
Item

Value

Mass of Cart and Sensor

Mass of Hanger and Masses
Acceleration (Measured)
Acceleration (Calculated)
Force (Mean)
Force (Calculated)
Questions

1.

Whatisthepercentagedifferencebetweenthemeasuredandcalculatedvaluesof
acceleration?
%difference
Remember,

measured theoretical
100%
theoretical

2.

Whatisthepercentagedifferencebetweenthemeasuredandcalculatedvaluesofforce?

3.

Whataresomepossiblereasonsforanydifferencesbetweenthemeasuredandcalculated
ortheoreticalvalues?

P08

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 55

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1

P08: Newton's Second Law - Constant Force

p. 56

1999 PASCO scientific

Student Workbook
012-07000A

P08