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You carried out an experiment to investigate the relationship between the acceleration of a body and the force applied to it - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2010
Question 1
You carried out an experiment to investigate the relationship between the acceleration of a body and the force applied to it. You did this by applying a force to a b... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:You carried out an experiment to investigate the relationship between the acceleration of a body and the force applied to it - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2010
Step 1
Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus you used.
Answer
In the diagram:
- Trolley: Represented as a rectangular box with wheels.
- Runway: A straight line depicted underneath the trolley, showing a smooth surface.
- Pulley: A small circle at one end of the runway, with a string going over it.
- Weights: Shown by adding circles or squares denoting weights attached to the string.
- Measuring Devices: Include photo-gates and a timer symbol adjacent to the trolley, indicating where the measurement occurs.
Step 2
Step 3
How did you minimise the effect of friction during the experiment?
Answer
To minimize friction:
- The runway was cleaned to ensure a smooth surface.
- Oil was applied on the wheels of the trolley to reduce friction between the trolley and runway.
- The trolley was adjusted to be level, ensuring there were no additional forces acting against motion.
Step 4
Plot a graph on graph paper of the body's acceleration against the force applied to it.
Answer
To plot the graph:
- The x-axis represents the Force (N) and the y-axis represents the Acceleration (m/s²).
- Data points were plotted based on the table values. For example, when the force is 0.20 N, the acceleration is 0.4 m/s².
- A straight line was drawn through the points, indicating a direct relationship between force and acceleration.
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 proportionality between the acceleration of the body and the force applied to it.
- As the force increases, the acceleration also increases linearly, demonstrating that they are directly proportional to one another.
- This relationship supports Newton's Second Law of Motion.