NEWTON'S SECOND LAW OF

MOTION

Lab Group #9

1. Samet Çağatay Gaser 240401128

2. Tuna Yazıcı 230401086

3. Mehmet Nail Keskin 230401067

4. Arda Berkay Yılmaz 230401093

5. Arda Saraçoğlu 240401090

6. Arda Sönmez 240401095

Date 6.12.2024

PHY 101 FALL2019

Instructor: Merve İZMİRLİ
Number of pages: 16

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 Table of Contents
Lab Group #?
Table of Contents
PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
Figure 1: Cart and hanging mass system diagram
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES
EQUIPMENT
PROCEDURE
Figure 2: Experimental Setup
DATA, PLOTS AND SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
Table 1: Mass, Position, Time Measurements
Figure 3: Fnet vs a graph.
Figure 4: a vs Fnet graph.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

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PRE-LAB QUESTIONS

Please answer the following questions before you start this lab:

1) The system of the cart (with mass = M2) and hanging mass (with mass = M1)
is shown below in the Figure. They are connected by a string with a tension
force T. Sketch this as a free body diagram- label all the forces acting on the
cart (M1) and on the hanging mass (M2). As we saw in class - if a net force
pulls on M1 - both masses accelerate together. So we call M1 and M2 a
system.

Note that M1 will not be in free fall (can you tell why not?)

Figure 1: Cart and hanging mass system diagram

2) (a) Which force(s) cause the acceleration (name all forces acting on each
mass)?
(b) Which forces are balanced?

3) Answer the following in terms of M1, M2 and g (you can ignore friction)
(a) what is the total mass of the system, Msystem
(b) what is the force acting on M1 causing the acceleration?
(c) write an expression for the acceleration of the system in terms using
Newton's Second Law in the form: a = Fnet/Msystem (in terms of M1, M2
and g only)

4) If the mass is transferred from the cart to the hanging mass -how will each of
the following change (increase, decrease or stay the same)?

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 (a) the total mass of the system
(b) the net force acting on the system
(c) the acceleration of the cart
(d) the acceleration of the hanging mass

5) Try an example -

Given M1 = 0.1 kg and M2 = 0.5 kg. Ignore friction

(a) Determine the total mass of the system

(b) Calculate the net force pulling on M1 (this would be the sum of the vectors
W1 and T where W1 is the weight of M1 and T is the tension on the string)
(c) Calculate the net force Fnet on the system
(d) Calculate the acceleration of the system
(e) Calculate the force of the string (tension), T, acting on M2

Put Your Answers below this line:

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ABSTRACT

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the Newton’s second law of
motion by analyzing the relationship between net force acting on the system
and resulting acceleration by manipulating weight distribution between the
cart and the hanging weight. This experiment conducted by using 2 of 2
different types of weight blocks each, one having a mass of 0.020 ± 0.001 kg
and the other having 0.050 ± 0.001 kg, and alternating them between the
cart (M2) and the hanging weight (M1). After setting up the weights we
released the cart with 0 initial velocity and measured the time it takes for the
cart to clear 400mm and 800mm of distance. To minimize the errors resulting
from our calculations, we calculated this 5 times for each M1 value. We then
used the data from this procedure and generated the Fnet vs a graph and
found the RMS deviation values for Fnet (1.047x10^-1 N) and a (7.956x10^-2
m/s^2) with the help of our data tool. Our uncertainty analysis validated the
reliability of our measurements, with minimal errors due to human reaction
time and measurement tools. These results and the linearity of the graphs
confirm the validity of the Newton’s Second Law of Motion.

OBJECTIVES

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The objectives of this experiment are:

1. Identify the forces acting on an object when it is accelerating.

2. Collect force and acceleration data as a system of cart and load is moving
under changing forces on a track.
3. Use graphical methods to determine the relationship between the cart’s
acceleration and the net force applied to it.
4. Determine the effect of the mass on the relationship between acceleration
and force experimentally.

EQUIPMENT
1. A low friction track with a cart.
2. A cart, various masses, string, low friction pulley (See the setup figure below).
3. Electronic scale for measuring the masses.
4. A stopwatch.
5. Computer with the Data Tool. Click here to download the data tool.

PROCEDURE

The setup of the experiment is shown below. You will get yourself familiar with
the setup in the laboratory. You will run the system with different hanging
masses and observe the change in the acceleration.

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 Figure 2: Experimental Setup

You will work out on filling the data Table below. In each row both M1 and M2 is
changed but the total M=M1+M2 will be the same. M1 and M2 consist of a cart,
a hanger and small mass units (disks). By transferring these disks from cart to
the hanger you will employ this change in M1 and M2.

1. You weight the mass of the cart and the mass of the hanger using the
electronic scale. You will be provided some number of disk masses. You can
measure these masses by using the electronic scale. You will also determine
the total of all masses (cart, hanger and all disk masses included). Let the
total mass be M and record this measured total mass in the Table (the 3rd
column in the Table). At the end, you will determine this total mass, M, by
graphical methods experimentally and you will compare the experimental
value to the measured total mass M.

2. You will start with most of the disks on the cart. You record the total mass of
cart (including the disk masses) and the total mass of the hanger. The total
mass of the hanger is M1 and the total mass of the cart is M2. You bring the
hanger to the highest point and release the cart. The cart will travel a
distance L in t seconds and record these values in the Table. Your instructor
will explain how you can determine the acceleration. You will record M1, M2,
M, L, t, Fnet and acceleration a in the Table below. Do not forget to record the
error values in each quantity.

3. Next, you will transfer some of the disks to the hanger and repeat previous
the procedure to determine the acceleration and record the values to the
next row in the table.

4. After filling out all rows of the table you will plot Fnet (=M1 g) versus a
(acceleration) by using the Data Tool software and using the curve fit find the
total mass M experimentally from the slope. Compare your result with the
measured value and comment on the difference.

Please determine your visual reaction time before you come to the lab by using this
link. This will be your time measurement error in Table 1.

DATA, PLOTS AND SAMPLE CALCULATIONS

Table 1: Mass, Position, Time Measurements

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M ± ΔM: … ± … kg

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Dat M1 ± ΔM M2 ± ΔM x ± Δx t ± Δt Fnet ± ΔFnet a ± Δa
a (average of
(kg) (kg) (m) (s) 3 or 6
measureme
nts)

(m/s2)
1 (0.050 (1.690±0.0 x0 0.000 t0 0.00 (0.490 (0.243±
±0.001 01) ± 0.080)
) kg x1 0.400 t1 1.67s±0.25 0.010) m/s2
kg s N
x2 0.800 t2 2.41s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 1.66s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 2.31s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 1.65s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 2.56s±0.25
s
2 (0.070±0. (1.670± x0 0.000 t0 0.00 (0.686 (0.292±
001) 0.001) ± 0.080)
kg kg x1 0.400 t1 1.31s±0.25 0.010) m/s2
s N
x2 0.800 t2 1.98s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 1.19s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.84s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 1.34s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 2.03s±0.25
s
3 (0.090±0. (1.650± x0 0.000 t0 0.00 (0.882 (0.482±
001) 0.001) ± 0.080)
kg kg x1 0.400 t1 1.03s±0.25 0.010) m/s2
s N
x2 0.800 t2 1.56s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00

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 x1 0.400 t1 1.10s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.63s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 1.07s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.59s±0.25
s
4 (0.140±0. (1.600± x0 0.000 t0 0.00 (1.372 (0.697±
001) 0.001) ± 0.080)
kg kg x1 0.400 t1 0.89s±0.25 0.010) m/s2
s N
x2 0.800 t2 1.31s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 0.94s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.37s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 0.88s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.35s±0.25
s
5 (0.190±0. (1.550±0.0 x0 0.000 t0 0.00 (1.862 (1.285±
001) 01) ± 0.080)
kg kg x1 0.400 t1 0.79s±0.25 0.010) m/s2
s N
x2 0.800 t2 1.16s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 0.73s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.03s±0.25
s
x0 0.000 t0 0.00
x1 0.400 t1 0.74s±0.25
s
x2 0.800 t2 1.06s±0.25
s

If you can use a stopwatch with lap times to collect time data, you will use the
expression below to calculate acceleration. You can also utilize the Excel file by
clicking here.

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 2 ( x 2−x 1 ) t 1−2 x 1 ( t 2−t 1 )
a=
(t 22−t 21) t 1−t 21 ( t 2−t 1 )
or (alternatively),

If you cannot use a stopwatch with lap times, you can obtain the times
corresponding to each position separately. In this case, you will use the
expression below to calculate acceleration.

2 xi
a= 2
i=1 , 2∧ j=1 ,2 , 3
tj

1. Show how you determined Fnet ± ΔFnet for the first row:

2. Show how you determined a for the first row:

2 ( x 2−x 1 ) t 1−2 x 1 ( t 2−t 1 )

a=
(t 22−t 21) t 1−t 21 ( t 2−t 1 )

We used this formula on this table

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Then we got 3 acceleration data

a1=0.250m/s2

a2=0.324m/s2

a3=0.154m/s2

Then took this values average to find real value of the acceleration

Which is 0.243m/s2

3. Make a plot of Fnet (vertical axis) versus a (horizontal axis) using “Data Tool”
to produce the plot.

Put the screenshot of the plot below:

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 Figure 3: Fnet vs a graph.

4. Swap the axes so that the vertical axis is a and the horizontal axis is F net.
When you check the “auto fit” box at the left-bottom, you will produce a new
rms dev value, which is the error or uncertainty of your acceleration
calculation: 0.080 m/s2.

Put the screenshot of the plot below:

Figure 4: a vs Fnet graph.

5. Calculate the uncertainty of the slope for F net versus a graph.

Put your work here.

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RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the Newton’s second law of
motion by analyzing the relationship between net force acting on the system
and resulting acceleration by manipulating weight distribution between the
cart and the hanging weight. Acquired data and the corresponding graphs
confirm the direct relation between net force and acceleration, as increasing
the hanging mass resulted in higher acceleration values. This experiment
showed us that the Newton’s second law of motion still holds true even with
minor uncertainties stemming from experimental uncertainties.

Please answer the following questions:

1. What is the slope of the graph from line fit?

2. What is uncertainty (rms value) in the net force from the graphical analysis?
Does this uncertainty comply with your measurements?

3. Compare the slope value to the measured value of the total mass. Are they
any close to each other? Can you accept them to be equal to each other
within the experimental uncertainties? If not, discuss any causes.

4. From the results above, can you verify the Newton's Second Law, discuss.

Put your answers below this line:

1) The slope of the first graph is 1.286 and the slope of the second graph is

7.432x10^-1

2) We found the rms value as 1.047x10^-1 from the graphical analysis and

0.010 from rms calculation. Since we negated air resistance and friction,

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 there was some minor differences between these 2 values.

3) We measured the total mass of the system as 1.74 ± 0.001 kg, while the

slope of the graph determined it as 1.286 ± 0.214 kg. These values may

have some deviations due to ignored friction, air resistance and

uncertainties caused by measurements but overall, results were still

consistent.

4) Since the calculations and graphical representations clearly shows us the

direct proportionality between force and acceleration even in the

presence of minor experimental uncertainties, we can safely say these

experiments can verify the Newton’s second law.

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