Paige Ney

B-3

Physics

09/27/16

Masses on a Pulley Lab Report

The purpose of conducting this lab experiment was to see if we could accurately predict

the acceleration of two masses on an almost frictionless pulley. To set up for this experiment we

went to the lab where Mr. Hedricks had set up some pulleys weights and thin ropes for us to use

in our trials. We used bolts as the masses making sure one side was heavier than the other and we

weighed them to be M 1 (Lighter Mass) = 0.0444 kg and M 2 (Heavier Mass) = 0.0653 kg the

importance of M 2 being the heavier mass is what allows M 1 to accelerate and have motion

and if M 2 is the lighter mass the equations don’t work out to be true. Next we strung M 2

through the string and the pulley and after that strung M 1 through the other side of the string.

(set up pictured below).

Our last step before we could start the testing was to calculate the predicted acceleration

to do this we derived an equation. Our first step was to draw the free body motion diagram of the
forces acting upon the masses (shown on left). And the process of diverting the equation from it

(shown on the right) .

M 2 side of the equation: M 1 side of equation:

ΣF = M 2 a ΣF = M 1 a

−T −M 2 g=M 2 a T −M 1 g=M 1 a

−T −M 2 g=M 2 a

+ T −M 1 g=M 1 a

M 2 g−M 1 g =M 1 a+M 2 a

M g −M
a = M2 + M 1
1 2

(0.0653 kg × 9.8 ) −( 0.0444 kg × 9.8 )

m/s2 m/s2
a = 0.0444 kg + 0.0635 kg

a = 1.9 m/s2

Now it was time to start measuring data. We had one person sitting on the floor holding

M 1 down with a stopwatch and when they released M 1 they started the timer to get the

measurements for t we wanted to get several trials to make our data more accurate so we did

seven and then calculated the average our data is shown below:

t1 1.45 sec

t2 1.51sec

t3 1.45 sec

t4 1.38 sec
 t5 1.51 sec

Avg. 1.46sec

Finally it was time to get the measured acceleration. To do that we used the mother of all

motion equation:

1 2
x f = x o + v ot + 2
at xf = 0
xo = 1.804m
1 2
=xo+ 2
at v f = not needed
vo = 0
2(−xo ) a =?
a= t2
t = 1.46sec.
2(−1.804m, )
a= 1.46s 2

a = 1.7m/s2

Our last step was to get the height and then plug it into the equation to see how close we

could get to our estimated acceleration and then calculate the percent error (given to us by Mr

Hendricks). We measured our height to be 2.05m and then plugged it in:

Equation to calculate % error:

% error = ( measureda − P redicteda

P redicteda
)100
1.7−1.9
% = ( 1.9 ) 100
% = 11
After looking at how large our percent error was we knew that we finally got the data that

we had wanted (yay). We concluded that the reason our error percentage was as large as it was

was because I have a poor reaction time and I was the person on the timer. Our experiment

would have improved greatly had someone who had a better reaction time or some sort of pad
that starts when the weight equals zero and stops when it recognizes there is weight again. We

would have gotten some extremely accurate data if we had that.