EXPERIMENT NO.

101 NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF MOTION

INTRODUCTION

Newton’s second law of motion states that a net force is required for a body to have acceleration. If a net
force is applied on a body, the body will accelerate in the direction of the net force. The acceleration of
the body is also directly proportional to the net force but inversely proportional to its mass. This is
Newton’s second law of motion.

In this experiment, we will verify the relationships between a body’s acceleration and net force, and
between acceleration and mass.

OBJECTIVES

1. To verify the direct proportionality of acceleration and net force if the mass of the body is constant.

2. To verify the inverse proportionality of acceleration and mass if the net force is constant.

MATERIALS

1 pc dynamics track with pulley

1 pc dynamics cart
1.5 m string
2 pcs photogates
1 pc smart timer
1 pc set of weights
1 pc weight hanger

THEORY

Newton defined momentum 𝑃 as the product of mass and velocity. The change in momentum 𝛥𝑃 is
brought about by the impulse (𝐽 = 𝐹net 𝛥𝑡) acting on the body,

𝐹net 𝛥𝑡 = 𝛥𝑃 (eqn. 1)

1
As 𝛥𝑡 approaches zero, the instantaneous rate of change of momentum is,
dP (mv)
𝐹net = lim = = (eqn. 2)
→ dt dt

Since for most object, mass is constant,

dv
𝐹net = 𝑚 (eqn. 3)
dt

Newton’s second law of motion is mathematically expressed as

𝐹net = ma (eqn. 4)

In Figure 1, the cart of mass 𝑚 is accelerating due to the tension 𝑇. From Newton’s second law

𝑇 = 𝑚 𝑎

The hanging mass 𝑚 is also accelerating with the same acceleration due to the net force 𝑚 𝑎 on
it.

𝑚 𝑎= 𝑚 𝑔 − 𝑇
𝑇 =𝑚 𝑔−𝑚 𝑎
Equating the tensions

𝑚 𝑎= 𝑚 𝑔 − 𝑚 𝑎
𝑚 𝑎 + 𝑚 𝑎 = 𝑚 𝑔
(𝑚 + 𝑚 ) 𝑎 = 𝑚 𝑔
𝑎 = (eqn. 5)

This acceleration is the same acceleration described in the kinematics equation

𝑎 = (eqn. 6)

for a body starting from rest, 𝑠 is the distance traveled by the cart and 𝑡 is the time of travel.