Lab Report: Inclined plane

Objective:

Our experiment's objective was to identify whether there was any relationship
between a plane's inclination and the time it takes to drop from the top of it, as well as
between its weight and the time it will take to reach the finish.

Background research:

In physics, an inclined plane is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle, with one end
higher than the other. It is one of the six simple machines and is used as an aid for
raising or lowering a load. When an object is placed on an inclined plane, its weight
vector can be resolved into two components: the normal force and the parallel
force. The normal force is equal to the force of the object perpendicular to the plane,
while the parallel force pushes the object down the inclined plane.

The force of gravity acting on an object on an inclined plane can be resolved into
two components: one directed parallel to the inclined surface and the other-directed
perpendicular to the inclined surface. The component of the gravitational force parallel
to the inclined plane is responsible for the acceleration of the object down the slope.
This parallel component can be calculated using the formula F ¿=mgsin θ where F ¿ is
the parallel force, m is the mass of the object, gis the acceleration due to gravity, and θ
is the angle of inclination.

The normal force, which is the force acting perpendicular to the inclined plane, can be
calculated using the formula F normal=mg cos θ where F normal is the normal force, m is
the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and θ is the angle of
inclination.

The angle of inclination affects the object's acceleration. As the angle of inclination
increases, the component of the gravitational force parallel to the inclined plane also
increases, resulting in a greater acceleration of the object down the slope.

Friction also plays a role in the motion of an object on an inclined plane. The frictional
force is a force that resists the motion between two objects sliding against one
another. In the presence of friction, the net force acting on the object is the sum of the
gravitational force, the normal force, and the frictional force.

Galileo's inclined plane experiment was a significant contribution to the understanding

of motion. By using an inclined plane, Galileo was able to accurately measure the
effect of gravity on falling objects and develop a universal law of motion. His
experiment demonstrated that objects accelerate down inclined planes due to an
unbalanced force.

Hypothesis:
Our hypothesis was that the higher the inclination the less time it’ll take an object to
reach the end of the rail. In addition, we believed that the more an object weighed the
faster it would reach the end of the plane.

Variables:
Variables Why I chose it? How its measured/ controlled?
Independent: Inclination of It is the variable I picked since it is The material being utilized allows
the plane independent of all other variables. us to control this variable. We may
Additionally, altering the inclination check the angle of the rail using a
will have an impact on the tool on the inclined plane. We can
dependent variable, or the amount then control the variable and see
of time needed to reach the plane's how the rail is slanted.
terminus.
Dependent: Time it takes the I picked it because it depends on We stopped the item with our
object to reach the end of the the independent variable since hand and used a chronometer to
plane altering the tilt of the plane would measure this variable. This makes
vary how long it takes to get at the it possible to more precisely
destination. determine the precise time the
thing reaches its conclusion. After
that, we stop the chronograph and
note the time.
Control: Using the sameI selected this as the controlled By doing the experiment all at
objects for the differentvariable since the findings won't be once and avoiding the possibility
inclinations reliable unless the identical item is of losing any of the artifacts, we
utilized at the various inclinations. were able to control this variable.
We also had control over it since
we were organized and completed
the various tasks in a certain
order.

Method:
1. The first thing you must do is set up the inclines plane at a 10° angle.
2. Place the objects at the start of the inclined plane and as you let go press start
on the chronometer.
3. When the weight reaches the end press stop on the chronometer
4. Record the results.
5. Repeat steps one through four with the rest of the objects.
6. Repeat steps one through five at 20°, 30°, 40°, 50° and 60° inclinations.
Materials:
1. We need 4 different object that can roll or slide down the slope at different
angles. The object we chose are:

a. A larger weight = 198.7 g

 b. A smaller weight = 51 g

c. A ball of plasticine = 16.9 g

d. A pin pong ball = 2.9 g

2. An inclined plane (length of the rail: 0.9 m)

3. Stopwatch
 Results:
After doing the experiments, the results are represented in a table:
Table 1 - Relation Between Inclination and Time
10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60°
Angle Angle Angle Angle Angle Angle

Larger Due to 0.72´´ 0.41´´ 0.41´´ 0.41´´ 0.38´´

weight=198.7 g friction, it
didn’t
reach the
end
Smaller Due to 1.06´´ 0.65´´ 0,60´´ 0.49´´ 0.42´´
weight=51 g friction, it
didn´t
reach the
end
Ball of 1.86´´ 1.16´´ 0.78´´ 0.76´´ 0.54´´ 0.49´´
plasteline=16.9
g

Pin pong 1.43´´ 1.12´´ 0.78´´ 0.75´´ 0.52´´ 0.47´´

ball=2.9 g
 Time
Chart 1 - Relation Between Inclination and Time
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
10° Angle 20° Angle 30° Angle 40° Angle 50° Angle 60° Angle
Inclination
Larger weight Smaller weight Ball of plasteline Pin pong ball

Interpretation of data:
The given table shows the time taken by different objects to reach the end of a plane
at different inclinations. The inclinations are given in degrees and range from 10° to
60°. The objects used are of different weights and types. The larger weight object,
weighing 198.7 g, did not reach the end due to friction. The smaller weight object,
weighing 51 g, also did not reach the end due to friction. The other two objects used
were a ball of plasteline weighing 16.9 g and a ping pong ball weighing 2.9 g. The time
taken by each object to reach the end of the plane decreases as the inclination angle
increases. This is because the component of gravity acting along the plane increases
with the inclination angle, which increases the acceleration of the objects along the
plane. The time taken by the ball of plasteline and the ping pong ball to reach the end
of the plane decreases as their weight decreases. This is because the acceleration of an
object along the plane is directly proportional to the force component of gravity acting
along the plane, which is proportional to the weight of the object.

Weaknesses and strengths of the experiment:

The strengths of the experiment include the ability to control the variables that might
affect the results, ensuring that the results are valid and reliable. The experiment is
also relatively inexpensive and can be done when ethical factors won't allow
experiments. The experiment provides relatively convincing evidence of a cause-effect
relationship between two or more variables.

The weaknesses of the experiment include the fact that the highly controlled
laboratory situation only simulates the conditions of the outer world. The results of the
experiments cannot be generally applied to real situations; these field experiments are
required in such situations.

The behavior in the laboratory is very narrow in its range, and by controlling the
situation so precisely, behavior may be very limited, thus affecting results. The results
of the experiment may also be highly subjective due to the possibility of human error,
and any error, whether it is systemic or random, can reveal information about the
other variables and that would eliminate the validity of the results.

Conclusion:

The experiment conducted on the inclined plane shows that the time taken by an
object to reach the end of the plane decreases as the inclination angle increases. This
is because the component of gravity acting along the plane increases with the
inclination angle, which increases the acceleration of the objects along the plane. The
acceleration of an object along the plane is directly proportional to the force
component of gravity acting along the plane, which is proportional to the weight of the
object. The analysis of objects on inclined planes is reliant upon the resolution of the
weight vector into perpendicular components. The slope of the line on a position
versus time graph is equal to the velocity of the object. Therefore, the experiment
provides a good understanding of the physics of objects on inclined planes and the
factors affecting their motion.

Bibliography:
Physics Classroom. InclinedPlanes. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-
Tutorial/Newton-s-Laws/Inclined-PlanesResearchGate. (2020).
Lab Manual of Introductory Physics-I for Virtual
Teaching. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347862407_Lab_Manual_of_Introduct
ory_Physics-I_for_Virtual_TeachingWikipedia.

(n.d.). Inclined plane. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclined_planeYouTube. (2017).

Inclined Plane Physics (Force to Push Object and Distance
Explained). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bUJv0zYJ5w