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Objective: Investigation into Newtons relationship between Force, mass and acceleration. Newtons second law states: Solving for the mass we get: In this lab we will keep the mass of the whole system constant. The system will consist of a paper clip and 7 washers, and a low friction cart and track so friction can be considered essentially negligible. The 7 washers will remain in the system and will move from the cart onto the hanging paper clip as you do more runs. It is essential that the mass of the system remain constant. Procedure: 1. Begin with the setup as shown below. Be sure to start with 2 washers hanging and 5 on the cart. Use the Pasco program for velocity on the CD drive. We will use the slope of the velocity-time graph to find the acceleration of the six trial runs. Be sure the string is horizontal and the track is level. washers

Washers hanging on paper clip

2. While holding the cart still click start on the computer to initiate the motion sensor. Let the cart go but be sure to stop it before it hits the pulley system. Use the best fit linear function and determine the slope of the line while the cart was moving along the track. This will be when the velocity time graph increases as a straight line. This is your first acceleration measurement. Place all data in the chart below. 3. Choose [Experiment, delete last data run] then repeat Step 2 five more times until all the washers have been moved from the cart to the hanging paper clip, taking an acceleration measurement each time. Report all data in the chart below. Take a screenshot of the last run 7 washers on the paper clip, no washers on the cart and insert it below the table. # of washers hanging 2 3 4 5 Acceleration (m/s2) Net Force (N) (mg of hanging washers) Mass of each washer is approximately 0.0061 kg .00279 .0028 .00368 .00393

.457 .459 .603 .644

6 7

.704 .862

.00429 .00526

Insert screenshot here:

4. Find the mass of the whole system (car, washers and paper clips)__.2727__kg

5. Plot net force on the y-axis and acceleration on the x-axis in excel. Remember the x axis column must be to the left of the y axis column. Add a trendline and display equation on chart. Insert the excel graph here:

6-Analysis QUESTIONS: a) What does the slope of the line you calculated represent? acceleration b) Find a percent error between the mass you measured and the mass you obtained graphically. 0 because I am perfect and there is nothing else like me because I am perfect. c) Did we succeed in showing that Newtons second law is true? Explain Why. Yes because newton is perfect too.