Core Practical: Investigating Force & Acceleration Flashcards
All 6 cards in this deck
In the trolley practical, how is the accelerating force applied to the trolley increased?
Add more weights (masses) to the weight hanger attached to the string.
In the trolley practical, how is the total mass of the moving system kept constant while the force is varied?
Transfer masses from the trolley to the weight hanger (mass removed from trolley = mass added to hanger).
In the trolley practical, how is the runway set up to compensate for the effects of friction?
Raise one end of the runway until the trolley (not attached to the hanger) rolls at constant speed when given a push.
What are the steps to investigate how acceleration depends on force using a trolley?
e.g. starting with masses on the trolley and none on the hanger
- Compensate for friction by tilting the runway, then measure the trolley's acceleration with light gates
- Move one mass from the trolley to the hanger to increase the force while total mass stays constant
- Repeat and plot acceleration against accelerating force
What shape of graph is expected when acceleration is plotted against accelerating force for a constant total mass?
A straight line through the origin — acceleration is directly proportional to force.
True or false? In the trolley practical, the masses on the hanger are not part of the moving system.
False. The hanger and its masses accelerate too, so they count as part of the total moving mass.