Lab report - mass and acceleration free essay sample

As the speed of moving object and rate, the forces acting on the object, the mass of the object, and gravitational force of it might affect the acceleration, I will investigate about the mass of the object. Aim: I will try to answer the question â€Å"How does changing the mass of an object change its acceleration? † which is to find the relationship between the mass of an object and the acceleration rate. Hypothesis: I think that a trolley with a large mass will accelerate slower than a trolley with a small mass. Apparatus: Ramp, blocks, trolley, string, masses (50g, 100g, 1kg), pulley, stop clock, sticky tape, laptop, data logger, two light gates (Labeled diagram indicated below) (Photo by: â€Å"Yenka simulations – Road Science†, http://mathsci. werribeesc. vic. edu. au/science10/Yenka/10_trolley_acceleration. html) Method for collection of data: Independent variable Mass of trolley, steepness of the ramp Dependent variable Acceleration, time taken Constant variable Temperature, slope, starting point, ending point, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Lab report mass and acceleration or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1. Fasten the pulley to one end of the ramp, and place it near the end of the bench 2. Put some blocks under the other end of the ramp. 3. Push the trolley gently. If it slows down and stops, put another block under the end of the ramp. If it speeds up, take a block away. Adjust the slope of the ramp so that the trolley keeps moving. Fasten the string to the trolley, run it over the pulley, and fasten the 50 g, hanging mass to  the other end. 5. Put two light gates between the trolley and the hanging mass. 6. Connect data logger to your laptop and to the two light gates. 7. Put 500g (5 x 100g) on the trolley. Use sticky tape to hold it on if needed. 8. Click the â€Å"start† button and let go of the trolley. 9. Record the initial velocity, the final velocity and the time taken from the trolley to travel from the first light gate to the second light gate on the provided table. Repeat each mass for three times and take an average. Making a fair test: I will measure the acceleration and the time taken by computer software and data logger. I will take 3 measurements (trials) for each trolley with different weight, and take the average time taken and acceleration. Method for control of variables: I will make it a fair test by making sure that the slope of every trial is the same, and no external variables such as temperature and the type of trolley will be changed throughout the experiment. Stage 2 – Data collection I’ve found out that an object with a larger mass will accelerate slower than an object with a small mass. My results strongly but not fully support my hypothesis. However, I’m not fully certain of my conclusion, as the number of trials for each trolley is only 3 times. The time taken by the trolley with 500g and 1kg is almost the same, which might not be fully accurate. Hence, I have doubts in my conclusion and therefore I don’t think that the reliability of my experiment is high. In scientific knowledge, we can explain this experiment by the Newton’s second law of motion, which clearly indicates the relationship between acceleration, mass, and force. The equation is: Resultant force = mass x acceleration, hence, we can see that the 3 of them varies in both direct and indirect ways. We can also say that the average acceleration = change in velocity/time taken. Stage 5 – Evaluation Despite the fact that my results support my hypothesis, I can still find some errors through my experiment. For example, as the trolley has weight itself, I forgot to deduct the weight of the trolley to make the result even more accurate. Assuming that the trolley’s weight is 100g, I should deduct 100g before doing the experiment. Luckily, I still managed to adjust the best data for my work. It’s essential to make the result accurate and fair, and by doing more trails and by getting more information, the results will be more accurate, and also more precise at the same time. I think that the experiment could be improved by doing it more times. Although doing it 3 times can already ensure its accurateness, however, we could still do more trials to enhance its degree of accuracy. Throughout the experiment, we had some hiccups in letting the trolley pass through the light gates. If I could do the experiment again, I would modify the positions of the light gates. Besides, we can still try to move the position of the ramp, in order to find more about the relationship between the height and the acceleration and time. In order to increase its accuracy and reliability, I would perform the experiment in some more different masses I have the chance, because by doing it more times in different masses, I could get a more comprehensive, a more