Acceleration

Raul Ramos
Acceleration is a measure of the rate at which the velocity of an object is changing. If you are riding in a car traveling in a straight line at a constant 50 kilometers per hour, you experience no acceleration

because the car's velocity (rate of motion) is not

changing. If the car begins to speed up, acceleration occurs because the car's velocity increases. If the car slows down, negative acceleration, or deceleration, occurs because the car's velocity decreases.
Harmony School of Advancement Pre-AP Physics

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Table of Contents
I. A. B. C. D. II. III. IV. A. B. V. VI. VII. VIII. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................3 Background Information and Research ..............................................................................................3 Objective ..........................................................................................................................................................3 Hypothesis .......................................................................................................................................................3 Variables ..........................................................................................................................................................3 Materials...............................................................................................................................................................3 Procedures ...........................................................................................................................................................2 Data and Observations ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Observations ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Data ......................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Calculations .............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Analysis .................................................................................................................................................................2 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................................................3 Sources of Error ............................................................................................................................................3

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I.

Introduction A. Background Information and Research

If a cart moves on a plane that is inclined at an angle , the component of the gravitational force acting on the cart in a direction that is parallel to the surface of the plane is mgsin, where m is the mass of the cart and g is the acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration of the cart, in the absence of friction, should be gsin, both up and down the inclined plane. The acceleration is not expected to depend on the mass of the cart

B.

Objective

Determine what Deceleration means? What does Acceleration mean? inclined plane? What happens to the acceleration of a cart as it moves up and down an

C.

Hypothesis As the slope or steepness of the graph increases we would expect the acceleration to proportionally increase according to the vehicles total mass.

D.

Variables 1. 2. 3. Independent: Slope of the graph Dependent: Acceleration Constants: Materials Example: Ramp, Vehicle, and Weights

II.

Materials Data Collection System Dynamics Track Dynamics Cart Rod Stand Motion Sensor Clamp Dynamics track End Stop Dynamics track Pivot

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III.
Set Up:

Procedures
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Start new experiment on Data Collection Connect a Motion Sensor Display position on the y-axis of a graph with time of the x-axis Identify what the car does when acceleration is negative, but velocity is positive. Set sampling rate to at least 20 samples per second Attach the stopper at the end of the ramp Mount the track to your rod stand using the pivot clamp Attach the motion sensor to the elevated end of the track. Set the car at the top of the incline Approximately 15 cm from the motion sensor Start data collection and release the car. Catch the cart at the bottom of the inclined track just before it hits the end stop and stop data collection 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Set the cart at the bottom of the incline Start data collection and give the cart a quick push up Allow the cart to roll back down the track and catch the cart at the bottom of the inclined track just before it hits the end stop and stop data collection Sketch both runs on data in a graph. Use data collection to apply a linear fit to each run

Collect Data: 1. 2. 3. 4.

10. Save your data

IV.

Analysis
1. During the period when the cart was in motion, are the Velocity versus Time graphs straight lines? Refer to the previous page if necessary. How is the acceleration of the cart changing fi our velocity versus Time graphs are straight lines? 2. motion. 3. Looking at the Velocity versus Time graph, what would a negative slope tell you about Although the paths of the cart in both trials were different, the slopes of the velocity

versus Time graphs for each trial are the same (during the period in which the cart was in

the carts acceleration? What would a positive slope tell you? 4. What was causing the cart to accelerate after releasing it from rest at the top of the

track? Was that acceleration constant? 5. Describe the motion of an object that has a velocity versus time graph that is a

horizontal straight line (a slope of zero).

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Synthesis Questions: 1. The term acceleration is used in our everyday lives and language, but is often used in a

non-physical context. Now that you have developed a physical definition of acceleration, give an example of where the physical definition matches the everyday definition. Given an example where they are different. 2. Modern aircraft carriers use a steam powered catapult system to launch jets from a very

short range. These catapults can provide a constant acceleration to bring jets up to speed in only 2 seconds. If each jet requires a minimum take-off speed of 82.3 m/s, how much acceleration must the catapult supply so the jet can take off? 3. Multiple Choice: How many different devices in a car help to accelerate the vehicle? What are they?

V.

1. Conclusion

The acceleration due to gravity was measured by timing a freely falling cart/ car. The value obtained from least squares tting of the data yields .9 which is slightly higher than the accepted value. Given the potential for systematic error in the apparatus, this result is quite satisfactory and can be accounted for by the oddly shaped metal pad used to stop the elapsed time measurement. Despite our apparatuss potential deviation we were able to note the overall change in velocity as steepness increased and mass. Both runs proved that velocity increased as the cart fell down, however, when the car was pushed up it gradually reached and optimum height, came to a sudden stop, and then accelerated down.

VI.

Sources of Error Possible sources of error could have been: Shifting the apparatus Rough stops at the end of the track Movement of the sensor Human Error Environmental shifts in motion

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