Chapter 3: Newton's Laws of Motion Investigating Newton's Second Law In this investigation, you will observe the affect of mass on force and acceleration. The acceleration will be determined by measuring the velocity of an object, allowing you to determine the net force. Experimental Design Equipment and Materials - Dynamics cart - Motion sensor - 1 of each: 1 kg mass, 2 kg mass, 3 kg mass - 3 carts: No mass, 1 mass, and 2 masses - Pulley ~ String Chapter 3: Newton's Laws of Motion Procedure 1. Create a table to record your observations: Trial Hanging Mass Cart Distance Time 2. Attach the 1 kg mass to the string, and the string to cart 1 (cart with no masses). Allow the mass and car to accelerate. Record the time and the distance. 3. Repeat (2) for the 2 kg mass, and the 3 kg mass. 4. Add a weight to the cart and repeat the same procedure as before. 5. Now add a second weight to the cart and complete the procedure again. You should have total of 9 trials. Analysis 1. Calculate the acceleration for each trial. 2. Calculate the total mass for each trial. 3. Calculate the net force for each trial. 4. Calculate the ratio of the net force to the total mass. 5. Plot a graph of net force (yaxis) versus acceleration (x-axis). Draw a line of best fit and calculate the slope. 6. Plot of graph of acceleration (y-axis) versus total mass (x-axis). Draw a smooth curve through the points. Chapter 3: Newton's Laws of Motion Discussion 1. Explain what the ratio of the net force to the total mass represents. 2. What does the graph of net force versus acceleration indicate about the relationship between acceleration and net force? 3. What does the graph of acceleration versus total mass indicate about the relationship between acceleration and total mass? 4. What were some sources of error