Group Members:

Period:

CART & RAMP EXPERIMENT

Galileo was very interested in studying gravity and the motion of free-falling objects. But
gravity is fast and equipment during Galileos time (1564 1642) was slow (no
stopwatches). So he cleverly thought of using ramps to study the effects of the earths
gravitational field. Likewise, we will use ramps to aid in our study.
A. SET UP:
a. Each lab group will be analyzing a
different configuration of the
experiment.
b. The ramp will be propped up on one
end. (Note that the wooden blocks
are even with the edge of the track)
c. Some groups will use 1 block, some
will use 2, but ALL will be aligned
as shown.
QUESTION #1: Why is it important for all groups to follow this alignment rule?

QUESTION #2: What variables do you think will be determined using this ramp?

QUESTION #3: Hypothesize the relationship between the variables you stated above.

B. PURPOSE:
a. What effect does the angle of the ramp and the weight of the car have on the
cars acceleration down the ramp. (To alter the weight, 1 or 2 bars of steel will
be placed in the cargo area of the cart, as shown below)

THINK BACK.
Recall that to calculate acceleration, you need two speeds and the time it took to get from
one speed to the other.
b. You will be using a stopwatch to time how long it takes to go from the top of the
ramp to the timing gate (near the bottom of the ramp.)
c. Since the cart is being released, its initial speed is zero.
d. The final speed will have to be calculated from data.
C. Calculating Speed
a. The steel bars serve an additional function
besides just altering the weight of the cart.
They break the beam of light in an electronic
timing gate.
b. The digital display to the right shows that the
beam was broken for 0.264 seconds.
c. Using the yellow ruler affixed to the track,
measure the length of your steel bar. Convert
it from cm to m and write that number here

d. *** IMPORTANT ***

i. Be sure that the beam is being broken by the steel bar (whose length you
know) and not by the whole cart (whose length you dont know).
ii. You can tell when the beam is being blocked because a red light on top of
the timing gate will go on (see arrow above).

Here is a close-up of the interior of the timing

gate. (You can see the red light on top). The
small hole at the bottom is where the beam of
light comes out. The arrow is pointing to it.
You cant see the beam because its infra-red
(just light the signal that goes from your
remote to the TV.) Thats why you need to use
the red indicator light to verify the correct
alignment of the bar with the timing gate.

**IMPORTANT**
Be sure that the steel bar isnt still blocking the beam after the car hits the bumper at the
end of the track, but put the gate as far from the starting point as you reasonably can.
e. Place the appropriate amount of weights on the cart for your group
f. After everythings set up, take the cart to the top of the ramp until its back end is
also aligned with the edge of the track and push the red Reset button on the
timing gate.
QUESTION #4: Why is it important that all groups release their carts from the same
point?

g. Release the cart and use the stopwatch to time how long it takes the cart to go
from the top of the ramp to the timing gate.
i. Record that number here

h. Since speed = distance / time, you can calculate the speed of the
cart as it passed through the timing gate because you have the
distance (the length of the steel bar that you wrote on page 2) and
the time from the electronic display on your timing gate.
Calculate the final speed here g
(show your calculations, including units)

D. Calculating Acceleration
a. Use this final speed, the initial speed (which is 0) and the duration time (you
wrote this down next to the hand & stopwatch illustration) to calculate the carts
acceleration.

Acceleration =

Show your work here

b. Record the acceleration in the data chart below and on the white board for your
classmates to record. Transfer their data onto your own chart.
c. Circle the acceleration from your lab group on the data chart below (on this
page, not the whiteboard).
d. **Remember that you do only your 1 configuration for the experiment the rest
of the class will do the other three. But analyze ALL the class data when you
answer the questions below.

CART ACCELERATION DATA (m/sec2)

Light Cart (1 Steel Bar)
Low Angle
(1 Wooden Block)
High Angle
(2 Wooden Blocks)

ADD FORCE QUESTIONS!!

Heavy Cart (2 Steel Bars)

CONCLUSIONS AND ANALYSIS:

5) What effect does changing the angle of the ramp have on the carts acceleration?
Explain

6) What effect does changing the weight of the cart have on the carts acceleration?
Explain

7) Does your data support or refute your original hypothesis? Explain

MOVING FORWARD:
When testing a hypothesis it is important to do multiple trials to create better support for
the conclusion you arrived at.
8) Create an additional experiment that can test your hypothesis. Include a basic overview
(does not need to be detailed, just a starting idea) of the experiment including purpose
statement, general procedures and how you will record the data for analysis.