Inclined Plane Lab
Purpose:
To determine the coefficient of the kinetic friction, µk, between an object and a surface.
To determine the tension in the string between two objects.
To determine the tension in the string between two objects.
Equipment:
Inlclined plane, car, string, pulley, weight to hang from string, scale for calculating mass, protracter, calculator, and motion detector.
Procedure:
This labe is set up by a car at the bottom of a ramp being attached to a sting that goes up the ramp. This string is attached to a pulley at the top of the ramp, and attached to the string over the edge of the ramp is a wieght. Next, a motion detector is set up in front of the ramp to measure the acceleration of the car as it travels up the ramp. To start the lab, you must set up the motion detector to measure for three seconds. Aslo, you need to begin the motion dectector at the exact moment when t;he car is released. After the motion detector captures the data for the lab run, you can use the calculator to tell you the function of the motion vs. time graph for the function. The second derivative is taken from this in order to get the acceleration. This is used with the other data taken from the experiment in order to find the tension and the coefficient of friction.
Data:
Data Analysis:
1. In order for your calculations to be valid, what are you assuming about the acceleration of the two masses? How did you determine and control this assumption in your experiment?
We assume that the acceleration of both the car and the weight is the same throughout the experiment. This is determined because the tension in the string is constant throughout the experiment, so the objects are moving at the exact same velocity.
2. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the object M and the surface of the inclined plane? What is the tension in the string between the two masses M and m? Do your calculations seen valid?
The coefficient of friction between the car and the track is .1314. The tension between the weight and the car is .5031N. These calculations seem very valid. The coefficient of friction may seem high because of our use of a near frictionless track, but there is friction in the string as well as in the pulley. The tension between the objects also seems valid.
5. Discuss systematic errors.
Some systematic errors that may have been present was the timing between the drop of the object and the commencement of the motion detector. Also, the motion detector can give strange results when it is used. The graph that the motion detector captured in our lab when we used it however seems valid. Also the scales that we used to mass the objects may have been unaccurate, so they may have given us some skewed masses.
We assume that the acceleration of both the car and the weight is the same throughout the experiment. This is determined because the tension in the string is constant throughout the experiment, so the objects are moving at the exact same velocity.
2. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the object M and the surface of the inclined plane? What is the tension in the string between the two masses M and m? Do your calculations seen valid?
The coefficient of friction between the car and the track is .1314. The tension between the weight and the car is .5031N. These calculations seem very valid. The coefficient of friction may seem high because of our use of a near frictionless track, but there is friction in the string as well as in the pulley. The tension between the objects also seems valid.
5. Discuss systematic errors.
Some systematic errors that may have been present was the timing between the drop of the object and the commencement of the motion detector. Also, the motion detector can give strange results when it is used. The graph that the motion detector captured in our lab when we used it however seems valid. Also the scales that we used to mass the objects may have been unaccurate, so they may have given us some skewed masses.
| inclineplanelab.doc |
Conclusion:
The coefficient of friction betweent the objects was .1314, so the path that the car was on was near frictionless. If the car was on smooth ice, the acceleration of the vehicle would have been higher. The tension betweent he objects was .5013. This was determined by calculating the weight of the weight at the end of the string and multipling it by the acceleration. This data seems reasonable.
