Cart on a Ramp Lab
Purpose:
- Collect distance, velocity, and acceleration data as a cart rolls up and down a ramp.
- Analyze the position vs. time, velocity vs. time, and acceleration vs. time graphs.
- Determine the best fit equations for the distance vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs.
- Determine the mean acceleration from the acceleration vs. time graph.
Equipment:
- A motion detector to collect distance, velocity, and acceleration data.
- A cart.
- A ramp.
Procedure:
First, prepare the track and motion detector for data collection. Next, connect the motion detector to DIG 1 of LabQuest and choose New from the File menu. Place the cart on the track near the bottom end stop. Start data collection. You will notice a clicking sound from the motion detector. Wait about a second the briefly push the cart up the ramp, letting it roll freely up nearly to the top and then back down. Catch the cart as it nears the end stop. Examine the position vs. time graph. Repeat step 3 if your position vs. time graph does not show an area of smoothly changing distance. Check with your instructor if you are not sure whether you need to repeat data collection.
First, prepare the track and motion detector for data collection. Next, connect the motion detector to DIG 1 of LabQuest and choose New from the File menu. Place the cart on the track near the bottom end stop. Start data collection. You will notice a clicking sound from the motion detector. Wait about a second the briefly push the cart up the ramp, letting it roll freely up nearly to the top and then back down. Catch the cart as it nears the end stop. Examine the position vs. time graph. Repeat step 3 if your position vs. time graph does not show an area of smoothly changing distance. Check with your instructor if you are not sure whether you need to repeat data collection.
Conclusion:
In this lab we found that as the car was pushed towards the motion detector at the top of the ramp the acceleration spikes negatively, the position has a gradual negative slope, and the velocity has a sharp negative slope. When the cart is coming back down the acceleration becomes a positive descending slope, the position gradually slopes positively, and the velocity constantly becomes positive. The slopes of the graphs relate to one another. The position slope is the velocity and the velocity slope is the acceleration.
In this lab we found that as the car was pushed towards the motion detector at the top of the ramp the acceleration spikes negatively, the position has a gradual negative slope, and the velocity has a sharp negative slope. When the cart is coming back down the acceleration becomes a positive descending slope, the position gradually slopes positively, and the velocity constantly becomes positive. The slopes of the graphs relate to one another. The position slope is the velocity and the velocity slope is the acceleration.