Research Question:

The aim of this experiment is to investigate how the mass of a cart effects how long it
takes for it to come to a complete stop after going down a ramp at a constant angle.
The ramp will remain at a constant angle of 17.0˚ throughout the experiment. The cart
will be dropped from the same height each trial. With each trial I will add a 1 kg mass.

Hypothesis:
I predict that the time the cart takes to come to a complete stop will decrease as the mass
in the cart increases because the greater the mass of the cart, the less velocity it will gain
when on the ramp so it will take less time to stop.

Variables:
• Time is the independent variable.
• The mass of the cart is the dependent variable.
• The control variables are the angle and length of the ramp.

Apparatus:
• Cart
• Wooden ramp measuring 77.6 cm ± .2 cm
• 5 masses weighing 1 kilogram each
• Stop watch
• Scale (to weigh cart)
• Meter stick
• 8 textbooks to hold up ramp giving height of 21.6 cm ± .2 cm

Diagram:

This image demonstrates the setup of my lab. At this point the cart has 5 kilograms of
weight in it in addition its initial weight of 0.398 kilograms. The spot at which the cart is
being held was the starting point which was kept constant throughout the lab.
 Method for Data Collection:
• Set up experiment as shown in the image above
• Place board measuring 77.6 cm ± .2 cm on 8 textbooks for a height of
21.6 cm ± .2 cm and an angle of 17.0˚ ± .2˚. This angle will remain constant
throughout the experiment.
• Place cart on top of the ramp
• Release and start stopwatch
• When the cart comes to a complete stop, stop the stopwatch
• Record data
• Add and secure 1 kilogram weight to cart
• Repeat process of determining how long it takes for cart to stop with 1 kilogram,
2 kilograms, 3 kilograms, 4 kilograms, and 5 kilograms of weight in it.

Weight in cart Trial 1 (s) Trial 2 (s) Trial 3 (s) Average Time to Stop
(kg) T1 T2 T3 (seconds)
0 2.99 ± .25 2.96 ± .25 2.85 ± .25 2.82 ± .25
1 2.72 ± 0.25 2.51 ± .25 2.51 ± .25 2.58 ± .25
2 2.39 ± .25 2.63 ± .25 2.41 ± .25 2.43 ± .25
3 2.36 ± .25 2.14 ± .25 2.51 ± .25 2.33 ± .25
4 2.41 ± .25 2.51 ± .25 2.52 ± .25 2.44± .25
5 2.45 ± .25 2.17 ± .25 2.51 ± .25 2.35 ± .25

Time Uncertainty:
Because I used a stopwatch to measure time, I have used the uncertainty for human error
which is ± .25 seconds. This uncertainty is rather large because of human reflexes.
Graph of Best Fit Line:
Minimum and maximum gradient graph:

The pink line is the minimum; the y-intercept is 3.173 and the slope is -0.2029.
The blue line is the maximum slope; the y intercept is 2.567 and the slope is
0.008276.
The black line is the best straight line; the y-intercept is 2.742 and the slope is
-0.08343.

The uncertainty above the straight line is 0.008276. – (-0.08343) = +0.091706.

The uncertainty below the straight line is -0.2029 – (-0.08343) = -0.11947

Conclusion:
My graph shows that there is a proportional linear relationship between the time for
the cart to stop and the mass of the cart. The slope is negative, which indicates that it
took less time for the cart to come to a stop as the mass of the cart increased. This
evidence supports my hypothesis.

Evaluation:
The error bars and the uncertainties are rather large and this is because I used a
stopwatch to measure time rather than a more accurate device such as a motion
detector. My attempts to use the motion detector in order to get more accurate data
failed because my cart did not go straight enough to pick up data.
Improvements:
One improvement that would be extremely beneficial to this experiment would be to
make a cart that goes straight so that I could use a motion detector which would make
the results much more accurate and precise. Using a longer ramp would also provide
more space for the cart to gain acceleration which would maybe create a more precise
and comprehensive overview of the lab and conclusion.