Newton S 2Nd Law Says That Force = Mass X Acceleration

Newton’s Second Law Activity Newton’s 2nd Law says that Force = mass x acceleration

Problem: If we increase the mass of an object but keep the force the same, what will happen to the acceleration?

Hypothesis: Based on the problem listed above, predict the outcome of this experiment. If we change the mass of an object, what will happen to the acceleration?

Materials: meter stick, acceleration jeep, timer, journal, writing utensil, 3 – 9volt batteries, triple beam balance

Procedure: 1. Go get a car from the side counter. Write your name and the jeep’s number on the board. 2. Collect a meter stick, stopwatch and three 9 volt batteries. 3. Measure a distance of one meter on the floor or table. This will be the starting and finish line. 4. Find the mass of your vehicle. Find the mass of one 9 volt battery. 5. Pull your car backwards a distance of 1 meter. Be sure to be consistent! 6. Let your car go, having another group member start the timer as soon as they see your hand release from the jeep. Stop the timer as soon as the jeep travels one meter (crosses the finish line). 7. Record information in the charts below. 8. Place one battery in the car, repeat steps 5-7. 9. Repeat steps 5-7 with two batteries, then 3 batteries.

Data Table: Copy into your journal **Please include all units!** TABLE 1: No Load 1 Battery 2 Batteries 3 Batteries Mass (m) Distance (d) Time Trials (t) Avg. Velocity (v) Avg. Acceleration

Copy your data from above into the chart below to analyze Newton’s 2nd Law… TABLE 2: No Load 1 Battery 2 Batteries 3 Batteries Force (f) Mass (m) Acceleration (a)

Graph: In your journal, construct an accurate line graph comparing the mass and acceleration of the jeep.

Analysis Questions (Please answer the following questions in your journal): 1. What two things affect the acceleration of an object according to Newton’s 2nd Law? 2. Are the acceleration values that you calculated in this experiment instantaneous or average values? 3. In an ideal world, should the force values be constant in this experiment? Why or why not? 4. According to the data you collected, were the force values constant? Why or why not…analyze this! 5. What happened to the acceleration of the jeep as you increased the mass? Why? 6. Did this lab investigation help prove Newton’s 2nd Law? Why or why not? 7. What are some possible sources of error in this experiment? Explain anything that may have a possible effect on your results.