Introduction:

Newton’s Second Law, written as F = ma, basically shows how force, mass,
and acceleration are all tied together. It’s one of those core ideas in physics
that shows up everywhere—from how cars keep us safe, to how rockets
move, even in how athletes perform. Getting a feel for how force changes
acceleration helps us predict how things move and build systems that need
really precise control. In this experiment, we’re using a simulation to focus
only on that relationship, cutting out stuff like friction and air resistance to
keep it simple.

Inquiry Question:
“How does the acceleration of an object change depending on the force applied
on a frictionless surface?”

Aim:
To investigate how varying the magnitude of an applied force affects the
acceleration of an object moving on a frictionless surface, using a physics
simulation.

The main idea starting out was to see how motion reacts when different
forces are applied. After looking at all the possible factors, force was chosen
as the thing we’d change (the independent variable), and acceleration as
what we’d measure (the dependent one), so we could test Newton’s Second
Law as clearly as possible. Since the simulation had no friction, it made the
results more reliable and easier to work with
Hypothesis:
If the force applied to an object on a frictionless surface increases, then its
acceleration will increase proportionally, because according to Newton’s
Second Law (F = ma), Acceleration is directly proportional to the net force
when mass is constant.

List of equipment:
●​ small toy car.
●​ flat tile (for a smooth surface).
●​ Spring scale (to measure force applied)
●​ stopwatch to measure time
●​ digital weight scale.
●​ Calculator (for calculations)
Because there is no frictionless surface in real life, I used a simulator instead.

Method:
1. A toy car was placed on a smooth flat tile.

2. A straight distance of 1 meter was measured and marked using a ruler.

3. A spring scale was attached to the front of the car.

4. The car was pulled gently using the spring scale, and the applied force was
kept as steady as possible (e.g. 2 N).

5. A stopwatch was used to record the time taken for the car to travel the
1-meter distance.
6. The procedure was repeated three times for each force, and the average
time was calculated.

7. The applied force was increased (e.g. to 4 N and 6 N), and steps 4 to 6 were
repeated for each new force.

8. For each trial, acceleration was calculated using the formula:

−2
𝐴 = 2𝑑𝑡

9. All the results were recorded in a table for analysis.

In the end, since there is no frictionless surface in real life, I used a simulator
to do this experiment to have more accuracy by calculating the acceleration
on a frictionless surface.

Procedure

Safety:

As this experiment was conducted using a digital simulator, no

physical risks were involved.

Validity:

Two key variables were kept constant to ensure validity: the mass of
the object (50 kg) and the frictionless nature of the surface.

Reliability:

The same procedure was repeated across multiple trials with

consistent increments in applied force. All data followed a
consistent linear pattern, indicating strong reliability.

Accuracy:

Using the PhET simulation improved accuracy by removing timing

and friction errors that would occur in a physical setup.
​
​
​
Variables:
The independent variable is the force applied (N)​
−2
The dependent variable is acceleration (𝑚𝑠 )
The controlled variables:​
the mass of the box in the simulator (kept constant at 50kg)
Surface type (frictionless)​
Distance measured (fixed at 100m)​
Method of applying force (digitally adjusted via simulator slider)

Results:
1) Force applied: measured using a spring scale
​
2) Time taken: measured with a stopwatch for the toy car to travel a curtain
distance
​
3) Distance: fixed at one meter

4) mass of the toy car (measured using a digital scale beforehand)

I would’ve recorded the force, time and distance using these tools and used
−2
the results to calculate acceleration using the formula (𝑎 = 2𝑑𝑡 ),
but since there is no frictionless surface in real life, I used the simulator.

First hand data for force and acceleration were recorded directly from PhET
Forces and motion, which calculated the values based on a programmed
physics engine.
Calculations:

Force (N) −2
Acceleration (𝑚𝑠 )

50 1

100 2

150 3

200 4

250 5

300 6

350 7

400 8

450 9

500 10
 Figure 1

Figure 1: Graph showing how acceleration increases as force increases on a

frictionless surface.

The graph shows a linear relationship showing that as force increases,

the acceleration increases as well (direct relationship) which supports
Newton’s second Law.
Using 2 points on the graph (100,2), (200,4) gradient was calculated

Gradient = (𝑦2 − 𝑦1) ÷ (𝑥2 − 𝑥1)

Gradient = (4-2) ÷ (200-100)
Gradient = 2 ÷ 100
−2
Gradient = (1/50) = 0.02𝑚𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑟 𝑁

Discussion:
The results of this experiment showed a clear and consistent trend. As the
applied force increased, the acceleration of the object also increased. The
graph formed a straight line, meaning there was a linear relationship between
force and acceleration. This supports Newton’s Second Law of Motion, which
says that acceleration is directly proportional to the net force when the mass
is kept constant. The acceleration increased constantly as the force increased,
showing that the simulation was working correctly and producing results that
match the laws of physics.

There were no outliers in the data. All the values fit perfectly on the line of best
fit, and each result followed the expected pattern. This shows the experiment
was reliable. The force was increased in equal steps, and every time the
acceleration responded in the same way, proving the data was consistent.

The experiment was also valid. Two important variables were kept constant
throughout the entire investigation: the mass of the object (which stayed at 50
kg), and the frictionless surface. This helped make sure that the only thing
changing in the experiment was the applied force. That way, I could be
confident that the changes in acceleration were actually caused by the
changes in force, and not from anything else.

I used the simulator (PhET Forces and Motion: Basics) instead of doing the
experiment in real life. This was mainly because it’s impossible to create a
completely frictionless surface. The simulator also made the experiment more
accurate. In real life, using tools like a stopwatch or spring scale could lead to
human errors, like reacting too slowly while using the stopwatch, or pulling
unevenly. In the simulation, the force and acceleration were measured by the
program itself, which made the results more exact and helped avoid random
mistakes.

The accuracy of the experiment was also supported by the gradient of the
graph. When I calculated the gradient using two points (100 N and 2 m/s², and
200 N and 4 m/s²), I got 0.02 m/s² per N. This means that for every newton of
force, the object accelerates by 0.02 m/s². This matches the object’s mass in
the simulation (50 kg), which proves that the data followed the physics
perfectly.

Overall, the experiment was reliable, valid, and accurate. The results clearly
showed that acceleration increases when force increases, as predicted. Using a
simulator helped make the investigation more accurate and easier to control.
The results support the hypothesis and show a strong connection between
force and acceleration, just like Newton described.

In conclusion, the experiment successfully showed that when more force is

applied to an object, its acceleration increases. This supports the hypothesis
and matches Newton’s Second Law, which says that acceleration is directly
proportional to the force when the mass stays the same. The data followed a
consistent trend, and there were no outliers, showing the experiment was
reliable. The use of a simulator made the results more accurate by removing
real-life issues like friction and timing errors. It also helped control the
variables more easily. Overall, the investigation was valid, accurate, and
matched the expected physics. The results clearly prove that the more force
you apply, the faster an object will accelerate.