Science 10 - Acceleration Lab

Investigation: What type of motion does a cart released from rest on an inclined plane
experience?
Materials: Recording timer, ticker tape, cart, ramp
Accelerating a cart down a ramp:

Time
Displacem
ent
during
interval
Average
velocity for
interval

t (s)
d (cm)

0.1
1.7

0.2
3.0

0.3
3.9

0.4
4.9

0.5
.

v (cm/3)

17

30

39

49

Procedure:
1. Set up the ramp, making it steep enough that the cart will speed up considerably
on the way down. Use the recording timer to make a record of this motion on a 2m
length of ticker tape.
2. To analyze the tape, divide it into convenient time intervals, as indicated in Section
1.4. In this investigation however, measure the displacement travelled during each
interval, and not the total displacement for the trip.
3. If each time interval consists of six dots, each representing 1/60s, then each
interval lasts for 0.10s (6 x 1/60s = 0.10s). Use this time to calculate the velocity
for each interval.
*If your timer does not make 60 vibrations each second, six dots will represent a
time other than 0.10s.
4. Prepare a date table such as the following:
5. Record your displacement and time measurements in the data table. Compare the
table by calculating the average velocity for each interval.
6. Use this table to plot a velocity-time graph, with the time on the x- axis as before.
*Here, you are plotting the velocity at the end of each time interval. In fact, the average
velocity would be more accurately described as the velocity in the middle of each time
interval, assuming the acceleration is constant.
7. Examine the plotted points and try to decide what shape of graph they imply. Then
draw either a smooth curve or the straight line that best fits the plotted data.

Questions:
1. Describe the carts motion as it rolled down the ramp.
2. Use your graph to determine the carts acceleration. Record this answer and show
all of your calculations.
3. Is the slope of your line increasing, constant, or decreasing?
4. Is this an example of increasing, constant or decreasing acceleration?