Part 1 - The Real World

• Select two objects with flat surfaces such as books with different covers, for instance hard back and paperback. You will also need an inclined surface which can be tilted, such as a larger book or a small table.
• Form a hypothesis concerning the coefficient of static friction. Does the coefficient of static friction depend on the nature of the surface, for instance the surface of the table top, the surface of the sliding objects, or on both surfaces? Which case corresponds to both objects beginning to slide at the same angle, and which corresponds to the objects beginning to slide at different angles?
• Use the angle of repose (θ_r) and the tangent function,µ=tan(θ_r), to find the coefficient of static friction in both cases. Was your hypothesissupporedor contradicted by the experiment?

The Lab Report

You are to write and submit a Lab Report on Part IV of this experiment (The Real World). Click here for a lab report template [DOCX File Size 14.8 KB].

• Write an introduction of at least one page in length.The introduction should showcase your understanding of forces and motion on an inclined plane. Feel free to use examples from your work in activities I through III to illustrate the concepts you describe in this section. Be sure to cite your source(s) in APA format (refer to thisIntro APA Tip Sheet [PDF File Size 45.6 KB]).
• Write a methods sectiondescribingin your own wordsthe experimental procedure used to complete activity IV. Do not copy and paste, or simply repeat the directions given in the course materials.
• Write a results section.This section should begin with a paragraph containing the hypotheses you were directed to form and test during activity IV. This section should also contain any data collected, sample calculations, analysis, and plots of the data or results.
• Write your discussion sectionspecifically addressing how your results did or did not support hypothesis used in activity IV.
• Write your conclusion.This section should be brief, at most one or two paragraphs, and connect the discussion with the information contained in the introduction.
• Write the abstract.While this is the first section of your lab report it should be written last. This section should be written in the past tense, in the third person and should be a summary of the entire laboratory report.

Here are some further tips on writing your lab report from Purdue University.

Emphasis in Laboratory Report 1 - Completeness and Introduction.

• Ensure that all sections of the laboratory report are present. This is a requirement of all lab reports for the course.
• Emphasis #1 - There is no previous report, so in the Rubric "Emphasis #1" automatically "Meets expectations."
• Emphasis #2- The Introduction: Your textbook uses at least a full chapter to cover Newton's Laws, we can come up with a full page to communicate our understanding of the topic. Feel free to use examples from your work in the earlier lab activities to illustrate the concepts you describe in this section. Be sure to cite your source(s) in APA format.

Compose your work using a word processor (or other software as appropriate) and save it frequently to your computer. When you're ready to submit your work, click Browse My Computer and find your file. Once you've located your file click Open and, if successful, the file name will appear under the Attached files heading. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click Submit and you're done. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it.