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6 (a) A student investigates the relationship between force and acceleration for a trolley on a runway - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 6
6 (a) A student investigates the relationship between force and acceleration for a trolley on a runway. Figure 7 shows some of the apparatus the student uses. (i) ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:6 (a) A student investigates the relationship between force and acceleration for a trolley on a runway - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 6 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe how the student could increase the accelerating force applied to the trolley.
Answer
To increase the accelerating force applied to the trolley, the student can add weight to the weight hanger. This additional weight will result in a greater gravitational force acting downward, thereby increasing the tension in the string that pulls the trolley forward. Another method is to incline the runway slightly, allowing the component of the gravitational force acting on the trolley to become larger, which in turn increases its acceleration.
Step 2
Describe how the mass of the moving system can be kept constant.
Answer
The mass of the moving system can be kept constant by transferring mass between the trolley and the weight hanger. This means that if the student adds mass to the weight hanger, an equivalent mass must be removed from the trolley to maintain the same overall mass in the system, ensuring that the total mass remains consistent throughout the experiment.
Step 3
Explain how the student could improve the procedure to compensate for the effects of frictional forces acting on the trolley.
Answer
To improve the procedure and compensate for the effects of friction, the student could raise one end of the runway. This adjustment helps the trolley roll at a constant speed without significant frictional forces acting on it. By doing this, the force of gravity acting on the trolley can balance the frictional forces, allowing for a more accurate measurement of acceleration.
Step 4
Explain how momentum is conserved in the collision.
Answer
In the collision between objects Q and R, momentum is conserved due to Newton's third law, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Mathematically, this is represented as:
Also, using Newton's second law, we can say:
ext{Force} = rac{ ext{Change in momentum}}{ ext{Time}}
In this case, the forces acting within the system are equal and opposite, leading to a redistribution of momentum between Q and R without any net loss or gain, thus conserving the overall momentum of the system.