Equipment-String
-Pulley -Weights -Box -Inclined Plane -Motion Sensor |
ProcedureWe began by hanging the weight off the edge of the inclined plane by a string. The other side of the string was attached to a wooden box on the inclined plane. We placed the motion sensor on the inclined plane and measured how fast the box moved toward the direction of the weight. The independent variables are time, the angle of the incline, kinetic friction, the mass of the box/string/weight, and gravity. Acceleration is a dependent variable.
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Analysis
1. For my calculations to be valid, I am assuming that the acceleration of the two masses is the same. I controlled it by attaching them with a taut string. I determined that the masses had the same acceleration because they both had the same velocity and displacement.
2. μk = 0.439 between M and the inclined plane; T = 3.965 N in the string between M and m; Yes, because μk is between 0 and 1 and the tension seems like it's in a reasonable range for the scale of the experiment.
3. I determined the angle of incline by forming a right triangle with the length and height of the inclined plane. I then found the arc-tangent of the opposite side divided by the adjacent side to find the angle.
4. m = 0.132 kg
5. The box (M) did not start in the same place for each trial, and this may have affected the acceleration for each trial. This would have accounted for the difference between the accelerations in the trials. In my calculations, I also disregarded the mass of the string. The string could have not been tight enough. Friction may have not been completely constant because I wiped the inclined plane between trials. I also disregarded the friction between the pulley and the string.
2. μk = 0.439 between M and the inclined plane; T = 3.965 N in the string between M and m; Yes, because μk is between 0 and 1 and the tension seems like it's in a reasonable range for the scale of the experiment.
3. I determined the angle of incline by forming a right triangle with the length and height of the inclined plane. I then found the arc-tangent of the opposite side divided by the adjacent side to find the angle.
4. m = 0.132 kg
5. The box (M) did not start in the same place for each trial, and this may have affected the acceleration for each trial. This would have accounted for the difference between the accelerations in the trials. In my calculations, I also disregarded the mass of the string. The string could have not been tight enough. Friction may have not been completely constant because I wiped the inclined plane between trials. I also disregarded the friction between the pulley and the string.
Conclusion
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between two objects and to find the tension in a string connecting two objects.The accelerations I got in the three trials were questionable because they were not the same. This may have been caused by several factors. The inconsistency of the friction on the inclined plane may have accounted for this. Disregarding mass of the string and friction between the pulley and the string may have caused errors.