LAB 3: NEWTONS SECOND LAW OF MOTION

Learning Objectives
1. Test the validity of Newtons Second Law of Motion, F = ma, with both numerical and ra!hical
dis!lays of the e"!erimental results of measurements on a s!innin mass system.
#. Learn the definitions and !ro!er System $nternationale %S$& measurement units for each of the
followin !hysical 'uantities(
mass
inertia
time
velocity
force
distance
acceleration
). Learn to differentiate between weiht and mass, and between s!eed and velocity.
*. Learn to use the averae of a number of small measurements in order estimate a sinle, small,
difficult measurement.
Backgr!n" Scienti#ic $rinci%&es
Newtons Second Law of Motion !redicts that a force actin on an ob+ect will cause that ob+ect
to move at ever faster and faster velocities. 'e&cit( is similar in conce!t to the common idea of
s!eed. S%ee" is a measurement of how reat a distance an ob+ect will move in a certain amount of
time. The term s!eed does not s!ecify in which direction the ob+ect is movin. ,y contrast, the term
ve&cit( not only s!ecifies s!eed, but also s!ecifies in which direction the ob+ect is movin. -elocity is
therefore a vector 'uantity, as e"!lained in cha!ter # of your te"t, and s!eed is a scalar 'uantity. For
the !ur!oses of this course, we will !refer the use of the term velocity, rather than s!eed. -elocity, -,
can be e"!ressed mathematically as the distance, d, moved divided by the time, t, it ta.es to move that
distance(
- = d / t
0hen an ob+ect s!eeds u!, or slows down, or chanes direction, it is said to be underoin
acce&eratin. The measurement of acceleration is how much the ob+ects velocity chanes in a certain
!eriod of time. 1cceleration cannot be measured directly, but it can be calculated by measurin the
velocity, -1, waitin a measured !eriod of time, then measurin the velocity aain, -#. 1cceleration, a,
is then calculated mathematically by dividin the difference between the two velocities by the time, t(
a = %-# 2 -1& / t
$n the case of an ob+ect movin in a circle at a constant s!eed, the s!eed itself does not chane,
but the direction in which the ob+ect is movin is constantly chanin. This means the ob+ect is
underoin acceleration. 3ther e"!erimental and mathematical wor., the details of which need not
concern us, has established the relationshi! between acceleration, a, and velocity, -, in a circular
system with a circular radius of r(
a = -
#
/ r
Newtons Laws of Motion assume that ob+ects are free to move without any retardin forces of
friction to hold them in !lace or slow them down. Ne)tns Secn" La) mathematically states that
the force, F, actin on an ob+ect is e'ual to the mass, m, of the ob+ect multi!ied by its acceleration, a.
F = ma
Frce can be defined as any influence that tends to chane the motion of an ob+ect, and can be
thouht of as a !ush or a !ull actin on an ob+ect. Mass is the measure of the inertia of an ob+ect.
Inertia or *ass relates to how difficult it is to start a restin ob+ect into motion, or alternatively, once
the ob+ect is in motion, how difficult is it to brin it to a sto!.
Distance is a measure of the amount of s!ace between two ob+ects or between two !oints.
Ti*e is a measure of the !assae of events.
The S(ste* Internatina&e %SI& is the measurement system used by common areement
amon the worlds scientists for measurement in scientific e"!eriments. $t is based on the 4uro!ean
Metric System. The Metric System and S$ involve a system of decimal multi!les and subdivisions of
the fundamental units defined by !refi"es, described in cha!ter two of your te"tboo.. The official S$
unit for measurin distance is the *eter %*&. The S$ unit for measurin time is the secn" %sec&, and
the unit for mass is the ki&gra* %kg&. Force is measured in units called ne)tns. There is a useful
relationshi! between mass and the force of ravity that acts on a mass at the surface of the 4arth, that is
used to define the newton. $f allowed to fall freely, any mass at the earths surface is sub+ect to a
constant acceleration, , due to ravity, of = 5.6 m / sec
#
(
F = ma = m = m 7 %5.6 m / sec
#
&
This formula will ive a value in units of . m / sec
#
. Since these units are somewhat
clumsy to say, the ne)tn has been defined as havin the units of kg * + sec
,
.
The force actin on an ob+ect due to ravity is called )eig-t. $n common everyday useae, the
terms weiht and mass are often used interchaneably, and the weiht of an ob+ect is s!o.en of as
bein measured in .ilorams. $t is only when we move away from the surface of the earth, or
accelerate at hih rates that the ravitational field becomes so different that weiht becomes different
from mass.
Materia&s Meas!ring Instr!*ents
8anin weihts Laboratory balance
9or. or rubber sto!!er Meter stic.
Nylon thread or fishin line Sto!watch
8ollow tube 9alculator
Mar.in !en or !encil
E.%eri*enta& $rce"!re
1. :se the set;u! illustrated below with a hollow tube, a strin, a cor. or rubber sto!!er, and a
hanin weiht. <urin the !rocedure, record all data on the laboratory data sheet !rovided.
#. :sin a laboratory balance, determine the mass of your hanin weiht. =our instructor will
e"!lain how to use the balance. Most laboratory balances determine mass in rams. $f the
mass is !rinted on the weiht, you may acce!t that value without measurin it. =our will
have to convert the mass in rams to .ilorams by dividin by 1,>>>. <o not use the lihtest
weiht in your weiht set.
). 9onvert the mass in .ilorams to a weiht force in newtons, Fmeasured, by multi!lyin
by 5.6 m/sec
#
.
*. :sin a laboratory balance, determine the mass m in .ilorams of the cor. or rubber sto!!er
that will serve as your rotatin mass.
?. For the !ur!oses of our e"!eriment, we are oin to inore the mass of the nylon strin.
1lthouh theoretically it will affect our results, its mass is so small com!ared to the mass of
the hanin and rotatin weihts, that it will not a!!reciably affect our results by more than
a few !er cent.
@. Tie the nylon strin to the sto!!er sto!!er, thread the strin throuh the tube, and tie a loo! in
the end of the strin on which you can han the weiht.
A. Mar. or .not the nylon strin +ust above the loo!.
6. <raw the nylon strin bac. throuh the tube until the sto!!er is stretched out in a straiht
line from the u!!er end of the tube and the .not or mar. is even with the lower end of the
tube.
5. :sin a meter stic., determine the radius r, in meters, of the rotatin sto!!er by measurin
the lenth of the nylon strin from the u!!er end of the tube to the middle of the sto!!er.
1>. 9alculate the circumference 9 of the circle in which the sto!!er will travel, by multi!lyin
the radius r times #. %9 = #r&. This is the distance the sto!!er will travel in a sinle
revolution.
11. 8old on to the hanin weiht with one hand and start rotatin your hand until the sto!!er
s!ins out to the full lenth of the strin. 1d+ust your rotatin s!eed until the hanin weiht
remains sus!ended, unsu!!orted, with the .not or mar. on the strin riht at the bottom of
the hollow tube.
1#. Bee!in the s!eed and radius constant by .ee!in the .not or mar. at the bottom of the
tube, start the sto!watch and time the interval, in seconds, re'uired for the sto!!er to revolve
twenty times. This is best timed by countin once each time the sto!!er !asses a desinated
!oint %e.. the nose of the s!inner or the sto!watch o!erator& near the outside of the s!innin
circle. $f you lose count, start over.
1). <ivide the time for twenty revolutions by twenty to calculate the time t for one revolution.
1*. To calculate the velocity of the sto!!er, divide the circumference of the circle by the time of
one revolution. %- = 9 / t&.
1?. To calculate the acceleration of the sto!!er, multi!ly the velocity by itself and divide
by the radius of the circle. %a = -
#
/ r&.
1@. To calculate the force Fcalculated, in newtons, on the sto!!er, multi!ly the mass of the
sto!!er times the acceleration. %F = ma&.
1A. Ce!eat this !rocedure three more times, usin weihts with a different value, until you have
four com!lete sets of data recorded.
Data Ana&(sis
16. Dre!are a summary force and acceleration table that shows the measured force,
Fmeasured, the calculated force, Fcalculated, and the acceleration a.
15. :sin ra!h !a!er, !re!are a sinle ra!h that !lots two sets of !oints(
Fmeasured versus a
Fcalculated versus a.
The horiEontal a"is of your ra!h should be force, F, measured in newtons. The
vertical a"is of your ra!h should be acceleration, a, measured in m / sec
#
.For each set of four
!oints, use a different !lottin symbol, e.. a circle for the first set %Fmeasured& and a s'uare for
the second set %Fcalculated&. The title of your ra!h should be F9om!arison of 1cceleration vs.
Measured and 9alculated Force in Newtons Second Law.G <raw a leend below your
ra!h that shows which symbol re!resents Fmeasured and which symbol re!resents Fcalculated.
#>. <raw two best fittin smooth curves, one throuh each set of !oints. $f a straiht line
seems to be the best curve, use a ruler or straiht ede to draw it. $f a curved line seems to
be the best curve, you can draw it freehand. =our instructor will draw a sam!le ra!h for
you, durin class.
/!estins
1nswer the followin ) 'uestions in your lab re!ort.
$n our e"!eriment, the rotatin mass %sto!!er& was always the same %a constant&, and therefore
the formula F = ma re!resents a "irect or "irect&( %r%rtina& relationshi!. F is said to be directly
related or directly !ro!ortional to a. 1 ra!h of a direct relationshi! always loo.s li.e a straiht line.
1. <o the ra!hs re!resent a direct relationshi!H 4"!lain why or why not in the Cesults section
of your lab re!ort.
$f Newtons formula for the second law, F = ma, is a correct statement, then measured
values of forces %Fmeasured& should be e"tremely close to the calculated values %Fcalculated&.
:se both the ra!hs and the summary force and acceleration table to answer the followin 'uestion.
#. 1re Fmeasured and Fcalculated almost the sameH 4"!lain why or why not in the <iscussion section
of your lab re!ort..
:se your e"!erimental data and your answers to 'uestions 1 and # to answer the followin, in
the <iscussion section of your lab re!ort(
). 9an you conclude that our hy!othesis, that Newtons Second Law is valid, has been verified
or falsifiedH 4"!lain why or why not, usin su!!ortin data from your e"!eriment.
0ESE0'ED FO0 NEWTONS SECOND LAW DATA TABLE