Forces
Force, Mass and Acceleration Required Practical
To investigate how force and mass affect acceleration and evaluate the accuracy of the results.
What you will learn
How to set up the force and acceleration practical
How to change force while controlling mass
How to measure acceleration from motion data
How to use graphs to test Newton’s second law
How to identify uncertainty and improve results
Explanation
Measure a trolley’s acceleration while changing resultant force at constant total accelerated mass. Then vary mass while keeping the driving force constant; use light gates or a motion sensor to obtain motion data. Reduce or compensate for friction, keep the track arrangement consistent and distinguish the mass of the whole accelerated system from trolley mass alone. Example: Explain one effect of friction. It reduces the resultant force below the applied driving force. Avoid unjustified claims.