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Force Interactive
Frictionless Situations

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to investigate the variables that affect the acceleration of an
object and the manner in which those variables affect the acceleration.

Background:
When forces are unbalanced, objects accelerate. But what exactly affects the acceleration of
the object? You will explore this question by running a collection of simulations in the absence
of friction. Set the friction value to 0.00 and run the following trials. Collect sufficient velocity-
time information (fifth column) for determining the acceleration in the last column.

Data:

Applied Mass Net Force Velocity-time Information Acceleration

Trial
Force (N) (kg) (N) (m/s/s)

1 10.0 2.0 10.00 N Vi= 5 m/s, Vf= 25m/s t=5s 5

2 20.0 2.0 20.00 N Vi= 10 m/s, Vf= 50m/s t=5s 10

3 40.0 2.0 40.00 N Vi= 20 m/s, Vf= 80m/s t=4s 20

4 60.0 2.0 60.00 N Vi= 30 m/s, Vf= 90m/s t=3s 30

Vi= 40m/s, Vf= 120m/s

5 80.0 2.0 80.00 N 40
t=3s

6 100.0 2.0 100.00 N Vi= 50m/s, Vf= 150m/s t=3s 50

7 40.0 1.0 40.00 N Vi= 40m/s, Vf= 120m/s t=3s 40

Vi= 13.33m/s, Vf= 53.33/s

8 40.0 3.0 40.00 N 20
t=3s

9 40.0 4.0 40.00 N Vi= 10m/s, Vf= 50/s t=5s 10

10 40.0 5.0 40.00 N Vi= 8m/s, Vf= 40/s t=5s 8

Use the collected data to answer the questions in the Analysis section.

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Analysis:
1. What affect does a doubling of the net force have upon the acceleration of the object? Be
quantitative. (Don't just say it decreases or increases; indicate the factor by which
acceleration decreases or increases.)

-The doubling of net force as seen in the experiment would also double the acceleration of the
object, due to the fact that acceleration is heavily dependent to the net force, so if the net force
doubles, there is also an increase in acceleration.

Identify a set of two trials that support your answer above: Trials 1 and 2___________

2. What affect does a tripling of the net force have upon the acceleration of the object? Be
quantitative.

-The tripling of net force can be observed in trials 2 and 4, we can observe that the net force in
trial 2 was 20N and in trial was 60N, their acceleration also tripled as observed, because of the
dependency of acceleration to the net force the acceleration of the object increases
proportionate to the force applied.

Identify a set of two trials that support your answer above: Trial 2 and 4___________

3. What affect does a doubling of the mass have upon the acceleration of the object? Be
quantitative.

-When the mass is doubled the acceleration of the object decreases, as to what trials 9 and 10
exhibited, which trial 9 had a mass of 4.00 kg and trial 10 had a mass of 5.00 kg, and their
acceleration was at 10 m/s2, then changed to 8 m/s2, from this we can deduce that mass affects
the acceleration of an object and is inversely proportional.

Identify a set of two trials that support your answer above: Trial 9 and 10___________

4. What affect does a quadrupling of the mass have upon the acceleration of the object? Be
quantitative.

- In the experiment quadrupling of the mass decreased the acceleration by 4 times, depicting
that mass and acceleration is inversely proportional. Trials 7 and 9, had masses measured
around 1.00 kg and 4.00 kg, and their acceleration are 40 m/s 2 and 10 m/s2, supporting the
quadrupling effect.

Identify a set of two trials that support your answer above: Trials 7 and 9___________

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5. Lab partners Vera and Bill Confuzzens attempted to use Trials 5 and 8 to show the affect
that a doubling of force has upon the acceleration. Explain why these two trials cannot be
used to show the affect of force upon acceleration.

- They can’t use this due to varying variables, there must be a variable that is constant to
determine the effects of the other, due to this varying inputs, and their results may be
inconclusive.

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Conclusion:
Consider the original question that prompted this investigation:

What variables affect the acceleration of an object and in what manner do they affect the
acceleration?
- The variables that affect the acceleration of an object is its mass and the force applied.
When the object has an increased mass, the acceleration of the object decreases, this
phenomena can be observed in trials 7 and 10, having their acceleration from 40 m/s 2 and
down to 10 m/s2. When the net force of the object is less, then the object would accelerate
in a slower rate, this phenomena can be observed in trials 1 and 6, their net forces were,
10.00 N and 100.00 N, and their acceleration were 5 m/s 2 and 50 m/s2.

Make a claim in which you attempt to answer this question. Then support the claim with
evidence (specific references to trials of data) and reasoning in which you explain how the data
support the claim that you have made.

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Evidences:

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