Lab Report: Kinematics in 1 Dimension

Vincent Li
Group 1: Vincent Li, Leslie Huang
Instructor: Ian Sun
Course: G10 SG Physics
Date: Nov 30th, 2022
Date handed in: Dec 17th, 2022
Objective
The goal of the experiment is to find out how the speed and acceleration of the cart varies when
giving a motion at an inclined or a flat surface.

(Materials prepared for the experiment)

Analysis
From my data collected, the cart’s velocity is slowing out slightly during the motion.

There are several factors that can cause the speed of a cart or trolley to be non-constant. Some of
these factors include:
1. Friction: Friction between the wheels of the cart and the surface it is moving on can cause
the speed of the cart to decrease. This is because some of the energy of the cart is being
used to overcome the frictional forces, rather than being used to maintain the cart's motion.
2. Air resistance: If the cart is moving through air, the resistance of the air to the cart's motion
can cause its speed to decrease. This is because some of the energy of the cart is being used
to push against the air, rather than being used to maintain the cart's motion.
3. Other external forces: Any external force acting on the cart, such as a push or pull from a
person or another object, can cause the speed of the cart to change.
It is also possible for the speed of a cart to be non-constant due to internal factors, such as the
presence of a motor or other source of propulsion that can cause the speed of the cart to change over
time.
Secondly, the value measured by the rangefinder is not necessarily accurate, but the relative distance
measured by it must be accurate, that is to say, there is not necessarily high accuracy, but there is
certainly high precision.

There can be two types of errors that can occur in experimental results: method errors and instrument
errors.

Method errors are errors that arise from the way the experiment is conducted. These errors can be
caused by factors such as incorrect measurement techniques, incorrect data analysis, or incorrect
assumptions about the experiment. To minimize method errors, it is important to carefully follow
the experimental procedures and to carefully analyze the data.

Instrument errors are errors that arise from the use of faulty or inaccurate equipment. These errors
can be caused by factors such as incorrect calibration, wear and tear on the equipment, or
interference from external factors. To minimize instrument errors, it is important to properly
maintain and calibrate the equipment and to use high-quality, accurate instruments.

To minimize errors and ensure consistent results, it is important to take repeated measurements and
to compare the results. This can help to identify and correct any errors that may be present.
Additionally, it is important to carefully control variables and to use a large sample size to increase
the reliability of the results.

(Region when the cart was being pushed by hand)

(Region when the cart was being pushed by hand)

 (The cart was moving freely and moving up the incline)

(The cart was moving freely and moving down the incline)

(The point where the cart had its maximum velocity)

(The highest point of the cart on the incline with respect to the horizontal)
 The instantaneous velocity of the cart at the top of its motion is 0.035m/s

The instantaneous acceleration of the cart at the top of its motion is 1.84m/s²

The cart’s acceleration constant during the freely moving segment isn’t constant, it is slightly
decreasing.

The slope of the linear function is same as the instantaneous acceleration found in previous step.
The median value get is very close to the results before.