Date: 03rd November 2016

Title: Verifying Newtons Second Law

Aim: To determine the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration using a shuttle
attached to a pulley on an air track with varying weights.
Hypothesis: If the mass of the weights attached to the pulley is increased,
the force exerted on the shuttle and the acceleration of the shutle will also increase.
Variables :1. Manipulated variable: Mass of the hanging system (kg)
2. Responding variable: Acceleration of the object (m/s^2)
3. Constant variable: i) Mass of the shuttle (kg)
ii) Length between the two light gates (m)
iii) Type of string throughout the experiment
iv) Place of experiment (Physics Lab)
v)
Apparatus: Air track, shuttle, pulley, clamps, masses, two light gates, string, ruler, air pump

Procedures:
1. Set up the apparatus as shown in the figure below.
2. Attach a 100g weight on the hanger at one end of the string and attach the other end of the
string on the shuttle.
3. Switch on the blower.
4. Release the shuttle without exerting an external force to it. Stop the shuttle as soon as it

passes through the second lightgate.

5. Record the time taken for the shuttle to pass through both lightgates on the data logger.
6. Repeat the experiment by adding slotted weights on the hanger to get a value of 200g,
300g,400g and 500g.
7. Take 3 trials for each mass used and calculate the average time taken for the shuttle to pass
the lightgates.
8. Record all the data obtained.
Tabulation of data:
Mass (kg)
0.100
0.200
0.300
0.400
0.500

Difference in time (ms)

Trial 1
Trial 2
518.6
524.1
459.7
437.0
377.6
376.0
366.0
364.4
352.7
355.0

Trial 3
659.1
433.7
372.0
362.0
355.6

Average time (s)

0.524
0.443
0.375
0.364
0.354

Precaution:
The shuttle must be stopped immediately after it has passed the second light gate to make sure
that it does not trigger the light gate and disrupt the readings on the data logger.
Data analysis:
We predict that the acceleration of an object mass will increase constantly when the net force
acting on the object itself changes. This is because, if we keep the mass of the object constant
and we increase the net force we will get a change in acceleration as stated and proved by
Newtons Second Law (Fnet = m * a in where m = mass, a =acceleration, and Fnet =Fa)
Acceleration can be calculated by using formula F=ma, where m is mass of shuttle and F is
weight of the slotted weights.
Mass of shuttle = 0.11 kg
Example: a = 1 N / 0.11kg
= 9.09 ms-2
Force (N)
1
2
3
4
5

Acceleration (ms-2)
9.09
18.18
27.27
36.36
45.45

A graph of force vs acceleration is drawn based on the result obtained.

Force(N) vs Acceleration (ms-2)

6

Force (N)

0
5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Acceleration (ms-2)

The graph produces nearly a straight line. The value of the slope is 0.1100 N/(ms-2). This units
simplifies to kg. The slope represents the mass of the pulley. As the net force is increased, the
acceleration is also increased.
Newtons Second Law states that the acceleration of a body is proportional to the net force acting
on the body (a Fnet) and inversely proportional to the mass of the (a 1/m). Combining these
two, we can replace the proportionality with equality. That is,
a = Fnet / m

or

Fnet = ma, (FNET is the sum of all the forces acting on the body)

Separate free body diagrams of the glider and the hanging mass are shown in Figure above. In
the figure, f is the net frictional force acting on the body (assume this includes the frictional
forces between the air track and the glider and the frictional losses in the pulley; N is the upward
force the air track exerts on the glider; T is the tension in the string; Mg(G) is the weight of the
glider; and Mg(H) is the weight of the hanging mass (FH=Mg(G). Note: the air track is
horizontal and the glider does not accelerate in the vertical direction, therefore N = Mg(G).
Conclusion:
Throughout the experiment we have not considered the force of friction. Even though this
experiment has not included friction, it was present in between the shuttle and along the surface
of the air track. Even though it is treated as frictionless, friction is always present everywhere,
even if it is regarded as not present. Another force that we excluded was air resistance. During
the experiment the window in the classroom was open and air from air-conditioner was blowing,
changing the air resistance in the room. Even though the change in air resistance might be minor,
it is still another source of error that can lead to miscalculation. It could also be thought that if
the pulley did not drop straight downward, example, it was swaying at all, this would have
further error.
The overall goal of the experiment was to determine and show the relationship between force,
mass, and acceleration. The goal was achieved using a shuttle on an air track and pulley system
with varying weights to measure force and acceleration.
The forces and accelerations collected were then graphed against each other the construct a linear
fit line, whose slope showed the mass of the system. Slope of the graph is 0.1100 N/(ms-2).
The data collected seemed to show a direct correlation between force and acceleration. Thus, the
stated hypothesis was confirmed that if the force was increased, the acceleration would also
increase.