Newton's Second Law and Newton's Cradle - Instructions
Before you start this experiment, understand that you are expected to follow directions EXPLICITLY! Take your time and read the directions for each step and for each part of the experiment. You will be required to enter data in a particular format in each table of the Worksheet. You will also be required to enter data in WebAssign in a particular format.
For a printerfriendly version of these instructions, click the Print button in the upperright corner of this page.
Learning Outcomes
Solve a variety of basic problems in particle kinematics (uniform motion and accelerated motion, including "free fall"), dynamics using Newton's Laws of Motion and the conservation laws of energy and momentum (e.g., collisions), fluid mechanics (including Archimedes' and Bernoulli's Principles), thermodynamics, wave motion, basic electricity (Coulomb's and Ohm's Laws), and radioactive decay.
Interpret the results of simple experiments and demonstrations of physical principles.
PART I: NEWTON'S SECOND LAW
Step 1: Setup
s is the variable used for displacement.
a
Cart mass (M) = 100 g
b
Hanging mass (m) = 1.0 g
c
Coefficient of friction = 0.000
d
Distance (s) = 0.100 m (Adjust the distance by dragging the light barrier (LB) with your mouse. Watch the distance, s, change as you move the barrier to the correct value.)
Step 2
Run the simulation and obtain data.
a
Click Start. Allow the simulation to run until it stops.
b
Click Record Data.
c
Record the time in Table 1.
d
Drag LB to a distance of 0.200 m.
e
Click Start. Do not click Reset.
f
Click Record Data and enter the time in Table 1.
g
Repeat the process, changing the distance each time, until you have 10 measurements and Table 1 is filled.
Step 3
Change the cart mass as indicated in Table 2 and rerun the simulation.
a
Click Reset.
b
Set the cart mass (M) to 250 g.
c
Drag LB to a distance of 0.100 m.
d
Repeat all parts of Step 2, recording these time values in Table 2.
Step 4
Change the cart mass and the hanging mass as indicated in Table 3 and rerun the simulation.
a
Click Reset.
b
Set the cart mass (M) to 100 g.
c
Set the hanging mass (m) to 4.0 g.
d
Drag LB to a distance of 0.100 m.
e
Repeat all parts of Step 2, recording these time values in Table 3.
Step 5
Answer the following questions on your worksheet.
a
If you increase the mass of the cart, while leaving the hanging mass unchanged, does the acceleration of the system increase, decrease, or stay the same?
b
If you increase the mass of the hanging weight, while leaving the mass of the cart unchanged, does the acceleration of the system increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Close the Newton's Second Law simulation window and proceed to Part II of the experiment.
PART II: NEWTON'S CRADLE
a. Click on the Newton's Cradle link to start the next simulation.
b. Read the directions on how to use the simulation.
c. Observe one ball swinging. Next, observe and describe what happens when two balls, three balls, and finally four balls are swinging, and record your observations on the worksheet.
Newton's Second Law and Newton's Cradle
As you work through the steps in the lab procedure, record your experimental values and the results on this worksheet. Use the exact values you record for your data to make later calculations.
Part I: Newton's Second Law, Step 2
Complete Table 1. Record all data to three decimal places (e.g., 4.000 or 6.325 or 0.000). Do not include units in your answer.
Table 1: (M = 100 g, m = 1.0 g)
|
Cart Mass (M ) (g)
|
Mass (m ) (g)
|
Distance (s) (m)
|
Time (t ) (s)
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.000
|
0.000
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.100
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.200
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.300
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.400
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.500
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.600
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.700
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.800
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
0.900
|
|
|
100
|
1.0
|
1.000
|
|
If the data points of distance and time were connected smoothly on a graph, the curve would be a ____.
The line or curve formed is because the object is ___.
Part I: Newton's Second Law, Step 3
Complete Table 2. Record all data to three decimal places (e.g., 4.000 or 6.325 or 0.000). Do not include units in your answer.
Table 2: (M = 250 g, m = 1.0 g)
|
Cart Mass (M ) (g)
|
Mass (m ) (g)
|
Distance (s) (m)
|
Time (t ) (s)
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.000
|
0.000
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.100
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.200
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.300
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.400
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.500
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.600
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.700
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.800
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
0.900
|
|
|
250
|
1.0
|
1.000
|
|
If the data points of distance and time were connected smoothly on a graph the curve would be a_____.
The line or curve formed is because the object is ____.
Part I: Newton's Second Law, Step 4
Complete Table 3. Record all data to three decimal places (e.g., 4.000 or 6.325 or 0.000). Do not include units in your answer.
Table 3: (M = 100 g, m = 4.0 g)
|
Cart Mass (M ) (g)
|
Mass (m ) (g)
|
Distance (s) (m)
|
Time (t ) (s)
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.000
|
0.000
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.100
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.200
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.300
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.400
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.500
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.600
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.700
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.800
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
0.900
|
|
|
100
|
4.0
|
1.000
|
|
If the data points of distance and time were connected smoothly on a graph the curve would be a _____.
The line or curve formed is _____because the object is ____.
Part I: Newton's Second Law, Step 5
If you increase the mass of the cart, while leaving the hanging mass unchanged, the acceleration of the system will ___.
If you increase the mass of the hanging weight, while leaving the mass of the cart unchanged, the acceleration of the system will ___.
Part II: Newton's Cradle
Observe one ball swinging. Next, observe and describe what happens when two balls, three balls, and finally four balls are swinging, and record your observations.
Table 4
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Observation
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one ball
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two balls
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three balls
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four balls
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