USC Department of Physics _____________________ ____

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Physics Lab Subject: Group #: Class Schedule:
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Worksheet
Experiment: Newton’s Second Law

Distance travelled: _500 cm_= _5_m__

Acceleration
Mass of cart Vertical mass Time of travel 𝑚2 𝑔
Environment 𝑎=
m1 (kg) m2 (kg) t (s) 𝑚1 + 𝑚2
a (m/s2)
0.20 0.20 1.4 4.9

0.20 0.35 1.3 6.2

0.20 0.50 1.2 7.0

Earth
(g = 9.8 m/s2)
0.20 0.20 1.4 4.9

0.35 0.20 1.7 3.6

0.50 0.20 1.9 2.8

0.20 0.20 3.5 0.80

0.20 0.35 3.1 1.0

0.20 0.50 3.0 1.1

Moon
(g = 1.6 m/s2)
0.20 0.20 3.5 0.80

0.35 0.20 4.2 0.58

0.50 0.20 4.7 0.46

0.20 0.20 0.88 13

0.20 0.35 0.78 17

0.20 0.50 0.74 19

Jupiter
(g = 25.95 m/s2)
0.20 0.20 0.88 13

0.35 0.20 1.0 9.4

0.50 0.20 1.2 7.4

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USC Department of Physics _____________________ ____

1. When the mass of the cart (m1) is held constant while the vertical mass (m2) is increased, what
happens to the:
a) time of travel? Decreases
b) acceleration? Increases

Explain what happens to the acceleration.

➢ The Vertical mass (m2) affects the force applied on the cart (F = m2g). Since the vertical mass
is increasing, the acceleration of the cart also increases. Acceleration is also directly
𝑚2 𝑔
proportional to the Vertical mass ( 𝑎 = 𝑚 +𝑚 ), so if m2 increases the acceleration of the cart
1 2
also increases.

2. When the vertical mass (m2) is held constant while the mass of the cart (m1) is increased, what
happens to the:
a) time of travel? Increases
b) acceleration? Decreases

Explain what happens to the acceleration.

➢ The Vertical mass (m2) affects the applied force on the cart (F = m2g). Since the vertical mass
is constant, the applied force on the cart would also be constant. However, the mass of the cart
is increasing making it difficult for the constant applied force to move the cart, hence the
decrease in acceleration. Also, since acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the
𝑚2 𝑔
cart ( 𝑎 = 𝑚 +𝑚 ), an increase in m1 would result to a decrease in acceleration.
1 2

3. Compare the resulting acceleration (a) of the system as the environment is changed from the Earth
to the Moon and to Jupiter.
➢ Resulting acceleration from the different environments from Earth, the moon, and Jupiter vary
differently since each environment has a different acceleration due to gravity (g). Acceleration
𝑚2 𝑔
(a) is directly proportional to the acceleration due to gravity (g), ( 𝑎 = 𝑚 +𝑚 ). Compared to
1 2
Earth, the environment in the moon has a much less acceleration due to gravity, hence in this
environment the acceleration is slower. On the other hand, the environment in Jupiter has a
much greater acceleration due to gravity when compared to Earth, therefore in this environment
the acceleration is faster.

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USC Department of Physics _____________________ ____

4. What is the relationship between the acceleration (a) of the system and the acceleration due to
gravity (g) of the environment?

➢ They are directly proportional to each other.

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