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A student carried out an experiment to investigate the relationship between force and acceleration by applying a force to a body and measuring the resulting acceleration - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2015
Question 1
A student carried out an experiment to investigate the relationship between force and acceleration by applying a force to a body and measuring the resulting accelera... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A student carried out an experiment to investigate the relationship between force and acceleration by applying a force to a body and measuring the resulting acceleration - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2015
Step 1
Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used in the experiment.
Answer
The apparatus used in this experiment typically includes:
- An air track (which minimizes friction) and a toy car.
- A force measuring device such as a spring scale.
- A timer to measure time intervals.
The diagram should clearly label:
- The air track or runway.
- The toy car or rider on the track.
- The means of applying force, e.g., the spring scale.
- Any additional components like motion sensors.
Step 2
Step 3
How were the effects of friction reduced in this experiment?
Answer
To minimize the effects of friction during this experiment, the following steps were taken:
- The experiment was conducted on an air track, which provides a nearly frictionless surface.
- The surface was kept clean and level to reduce any additional friction.
- Any additional weights that could increase friction were avoided.
Step 4
Plot a graph, on graph paper, of the acceleration against the force.
Answer
In plotting the graph:
- Use graph paper with an appropriate scale.
- Plot force (N) on the x-axis and acceleration (m/s²) on the y-axis.
- Mark the data points from the measurements recorded in the experiment:
- (0.5, 0.1)
- (1.0, 0.2)
- (1.5, 0.3)
- (2.0, 0.4)
- (2.5, 0.5)
- (3.0, 0.6)
- (3.5, 0.7)
- Connect the points with a straight line, demonstrating a direct linear relationship, starting from the origin.
Step 5
What does your graph tell you about the relationship between the acceleration of the body and the force applied to it?
Answer
The graph indicates that there is a direct proportional relationship between the force applied to the body and its acceleration. As the force increases, the acceleration also increases in a linear manner, demonstrating Newton's second law of motion, which states that acceleration is directly proportional to the net force acting on an object.