Lab: 1.

3 Acceleration

Introduction:

Acceleration is the process changing of velocity. Constant velocity is travelling at a speed which
does not change. In a d-t graph, the line would be straight and any given slopes will be equal to
one another. Changing velocity is when there is a change in speed. In a d-t graph, the line would
be curved to show that the object is accelerating. To find the acceleration, tangent lines must be
made to find slopes in a curved d-t graph. With those slopes and the points at which the tangent
lines were made, one can find create a v-t graph. The slope of the v-t graph is used to find
average acceleration. Some factors that can affect acceleration is the weight an object is carrying,
how fast it is going, as well as the length it is travelling.

Variables for this lab:

Independent: Mass (g) in the car and the counter-weight

Dependent: Time, Speed, Acceleration
Constant: Distance

Purpose:

The purpose of this lab was to analyze the motion of an accelerating object.

Materials:

• Tickertape apparatus
• Power supply
• Clacker
• Tickertape
• Toy car
• 10 g – 1000g mass
• Metre stick
• Tape
• Connector wires
• Pulley
Procedures:

1. The clacker was clamped to the back of the lab station.

2. A piece of tickertape was cut and it was no longer than the height of the lab station. The
toy car was set in front of the clacker. The tickertape was fed through the clacker and it
was taped to the back of the car.
3. A pulley was attached to the front edge of the lab station.
4. The wire was run from the front of the toy car over the pulley. The mass was tied to the
end of the wire.
5. When the clacker was started, the car was let go of. It travelled to the edge of the table
where someone was ready to catch it.
6. Experiment was repeated for each member of the group.

Discussion:

1. The beginning section of the graph was curved because the toy car was gaining speed. It
was stationary until the clacker was started, and the curve shows a change in velocity.
2. No, the graph does not ever become truly straight because it does not travel at a constant
velocity. It will either gain speed or slow down.
3. The mass on the car is limiting its speed, as well as the distance of the lab station.
4. At zero, the slop is zero. This is because there is no speed, and the car is stationary.
5. In terms of the rise part of the slope calculation, one can tell that the car is speeding up
because the distance between two points are not consistent with one another. If these dots
were consistent, then the graph would show constant velocity.

Conclusion:

At the end of the lab, one has learned how changing velocity is the same as acceleration.
Constant velocity is an object travelling at the same speed, whereas acceleration is the changing
of velocity. One can learn that the speed of the car can be factored by the weight it has on it as
well as the weight that is pulling down on it. By determining slopes on a d-t graph, placing those
slopes on a v-t graph, and finding the slope of the v-t graph, it is possible to find acceleration.