Vinci Nguyen 

Physics 111-91 

February 27, 2020 

Lab #6 Newton’s Second Law 

Objectives: 

 Collect Force and acceleration data for a cart as it is moved back and forth. 

 Compare force vs. Time and acceleration vs. Tome graphs. 

 Analyze a graph of force vs. Acceleration. 

 Determine the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. 

Preliminary Questions: 

1. The ball does not move at a constant speed, but rather, it increases in speed
over time, meaning it accelerates. 

2. The ball does not move at a constant speed even with a larger force. It seems
to be accelerating once again. 

3. There is no difference in the movement when a small force is applied vs. a

larger force, only that the acceleration is higher when the force is higher. 

Method: 

For this experiment we used a setup which allowed us to measure the acceleration
and calculated mass based on the acceleration of an object. A track was setup with a car
running along the length of the track. Said car was equipped with a dual-range force sensor
and an accelerometer. The total mass of the car with attachments was taken so we could
compare that number with the calculated number taken from the acceleration measured.
The car’s attachments were then connected to the computer using logger pro, which gave
us a graph of the car’s acceleration vs. force. From there the regression line from the graph
was used to find the calculated mass of the object. This was repeated a second time with a
weight attached to the car.  

 Data: 

Trial 1 (without weight). 

Trial 2 (with weight). 

 
  

Data Analysis: 

1. The net force on an object and the acceleration is directly proportionate

because while the graphs are slightly different sizes, the shape is the same and
the peaks and dips of the graphs coincide with each other. 

2. The units on the graph are N/m/s^2, or simplified they are kilograms (kg). 

3. The slope of the graph represents the mass of the object. 

4. An equation that relates force, mass, and acceleration is F=ma. 

Conclusions: 

This lab showcased the relationship between force, acceleration, and mass. The goal
of this lab in particular was to show how the mass of an object can be calculated using its
acceleration and force applied. 

This lab showed us that in order to calculate one of the three components
(acceleration, mass, and force), you need measurements of the two other components. 

This lab proves Newton’s second law where Force=mass x acceleration (F=ma). This
also shows the relationship between the units of acceleration, mass, and force. N/m/s^2
are kilograms since m=F/a.