PH 201 Post-Lab 03

1 Dimensional Motion

Name

Solution

 

The experiment this week involved a cart accelerating down an inclined plane.  The basic equation used was

 

1. What fundamental condition must have been true for this to be the valid equation of motion?  Hint: Consider whether or not this is normally a kinematical equation.

 

The usual kinematic equation is , so for this to become  the initial velocity v0 must be zero.  Therefore

 

The fundamental condition is that the cart must be released from rest.  In other words, there is no initial velocity.

 

2. Data of times measured as a cart rolled down an incline plane at various distances is collected. If one plotted x vs. t2 and a trendline was plotted what should the y-intercept be in the ideal situation?

 

In an ideal case the y-intercept would be zero

 

In the experiment the trendline plotted resulted in the equation:

.  What physically does the value of the y-intercept tell you?

 

A non-zero intercept is a measure of error present in the experiment.  Most likely relating to the actual initial velocity of the cart not being zero.

 

3. Using the equation:  ], what would you determine the acceleration of the cart in the experiment was?

 

Comparing the experimental equation to the theoretical one,  .

)

 

 

OVER à

 

4. If instead one plotted ln(x) vs. ln(t) for the relationship , in an ideal situation what should the slope of the ln-ln plot be?

 

Ln-Ln analysis of a Power Law equation results in the slope of the ln-ln plot being the power which in this case is 2.

 

2

 

5. If the acceleration of the cart was 0.834 m/s2, what would the y-intercept of the ln-ln plot be?

 

In the analysis of the ln-ln plot, the y intercept is the ln() of the constant in front of the variable.  So for the equation , the y intercept is .

 

 

 

 

 

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This page last updated on January 11, 2020