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Same Size, Same Placement On Rope

1. The document describes a PhET simulation experiment on forces and motion where students simulate different tug-of-war scenarios by varying the number, size, and placement of people on each side of a cart. 2. The students make predictions and record the actual movement and sum of forces for different scenarios involving 2 people of the same or different sizes placed at equal or different distances from the cart. 3. The results show that the cart moves towards the side with the larger person or people due to an unbalanced force, while it does not move if the forces are balanced by people of the same size and placement.

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Nicholas Barresi
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2K views2 pages

Same Size, Same Placement On Rope

1. The document describes a PhET simulation experiment on forces and motion where students simulate different tug-of-war scenarios by varying the number, size, and placement of people on each side of a cart. 2. The students make predictions and record the actual movement and sum of forces for different scenarios involving 2 people of the same or different sizes placed at equal or different distances from the cart. 3. The results show that the cart moves towards the side with the larger person or people due to an unbalanced force, while it does not move if the forces are balanced by people of the same size and placement.

Uploaded by

Nicholas Barresi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name___________________________________Date_____________________Period________

FORCES AND MOTION PHET Lab


You and some friends are at the park. You find some rope and decide you’d like to play a game of tug-of-war.
Unfortunately, there are 5 people, so you can’t have an equal amount of people on each side. Keep this in mind as you run
the following simulations.

Open PhET simulation “Forces and Motion” http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/forces-and-motion-basics


TASK 1
a. Place 2 people that are the same size the same distance away from the cart.
b. Make a prediction about the movement of the cart.
c. AFTER you have observed the actual movement, click on the sum of the forces and values boxes at the top right-
hand corner of the simulation. Record the number in the data chart.
Same size, same placement on rope Predicted Movement Actual Movement Sum of Forces
(none, left, right) (0, x-left, x-right)
The cart is not none 0
going to move. 50; left 50; right

TASK 2
a. Place 2 people that are the same size different distances away from the cart.
b. Make a prediction about the movement of the cart.
c. AFTER you have observed the actual movement, click on the sum of the forces and values boxes at the top right-
hand corner of the simulation. Record the number in the data chart.
Same size different placement on rope Predicted Movement Actual Movement Sum of Forces
(none, left, right) (0, x-left, x-right)
It is not going to none 0
move still 50; left 50; right

TASK 3
a. Place 2 people that are different sizes the same distance away from the cart.
b. Make a prediction about the movement of the cart.
c. AFTER you have observed the actual movement, click on the sum of the forces and values boxes at the top right-
hand corner. Record the number in the data chart.
Different size same placement on Predicted Movement Actual Movement Sum of Forces
rope (none, left, right) (0, x-left, x-right)
It is going to move left x-left
towards the larger left; 100 right; 50
person(left)

TASK 4
a. Place 2 people that are the different sizes different distances away from the cart.
b. Make a prediction about the movement of the cart.
c. AFTER you have observed the actual movement, click on the sum of the forces and values boxes at the top right-
hand corner of the simulation. Record the number in the data chart.
Different size, different placement on Predicted Movement Actual Movement Sum of Forces
rope (none, left, right) (0, x-left, x-right)
The same as the left x-left
last one. It is going left; 100 right; 50
towards the larger.
1. Based on your observations, describe the relationship between forces that determines whether movement will
occur. Support your answer with examples from the simulations above.
The larger people pull the cart towards them and the cart’s speed accelerated as it gets closer to their side.

Analysis Questions/Reasoning:
 Based on the simulations you created, explain in your own words what the term “balanced force” might

mean.

The term Balanced Force might mean two people pulling in opposite directions, but they are the same size.

 Based on your definition of balanced force, which of the simulations you created would be examples of
balanced forces? Support your answer with 2 examples of data collected.
Ex. 2 small people both pulling on the cart in opposite directions.

Ex. 2 big people pulling on the cart in opposite directions.

 Based on the simulations you created, explain in your own words what the term “unbalanced force” might

mean.

Unbalanced force might mean 2 people pulling in opposite directions; however, one overpowers the other.

 Based on your definition of unbalanced force, which of the simulations would be examples of unbalanced

forces? Support your answer with 2 examples of data collected.

Ex. One big man and one tiny man. The big man over powers the tiny man.

Ex.one medium man and one big man.

 Now that you have had a chance to experiment with the simulation, consider the problem presented at the
beginning. If you use the simulation as a model, how could you split up your 5 friends to make it a fair
tug-of-war competition? Try it using the simulation and explain your solution below.
On the left there could be 2 small people and one medium person, and on the right there could be 1 big
person and one small person.
 If teams are so evenly matched, how can either team win? Explain your answer.

One side can lose grip or get tired, causing the other side to use that slip up as acceleration. As long as

none of them get tired or lose a grip, then they will both be at 200 newtons.

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