Lab 3: Investigating Newton #2 on the Air Tracks

The goal of this lab is to investigate how changing the distribution of the total mass on a rider with a
hanging mass on an air track will lead you to verify Newtons second law, without friction. You will first
calculate the theoretical acceleration of the system as you move mass from the rider to the bucket and
graph your predicted results of Fnet = mtotala in Excel. You will then measure the acceleration indirectly
by measuring the time for the rider to pass between two photogates, and graph your measured Force as a
function of acceleration, and compare your predicted graph to your measured graph.

In this arrangement, the weight of the hanging mass acts as the external force which accelerates both itself
and the rider along the air track. With the air blasting on full, it should be a decent approximation to
assume that we have a frictionless environment.
I.

Getting started:

Lets call the total mass on top m1 and the total hanging mass m2.
With no extra mass, lets call the rider + flag + two hooks the naked rider. With no extra mass, lets
call the hanging thing the empty bucket. Later, we will add a total of 50 grams to the naked rider,
and after each run we will transfer 10 grams to the bucket, but each time we will still call the total mass
on top m1 and the total hanging mass m2, so the total mass is always m1 + m2 = mass of naked rider +
mass of bucket + 50 grams.
1. Find the mass of the naked rider (rider + flag + two hooks) on the electronic balance. (It should
be somewhere around 200 grams).
Mass of naked rider =
gr =
kg
2. Find the mass of the empty bucket. (It should be around 50 grams.)
Mass of empty bucket =
gr =
1

kg

3. Put the naked rider on the air track; attach a string to one hook, and run this string over the pulley,
and attach the other end of the string to the hook on the top of the hanging thing that we are
calling the bucket. Turn on the air and observe you can mess around with this for a little bit,
as it is cool.
II.

Pre-lab analysis:

4. Using the sketch provided at the top of page one, next to each mass, draw a free body diagram
with all the forces acting on each mass. You can then copy this into your lab book, and you can
keep this lab paper for reference.
5. What is the net EXTERNAL force that causes this system to accelerate?
What is the TOTAL mass of this system?
What is the formula for the acceleration, based on m1, m2, and g?
Prediction: From your formula (check with your instructor that you got it right), predict:
As m1 approaches infinity, what value does a approach?
As m2 approaches infinity, what value does a approach?

Predicted Graph:
So far, the total mass = mass of naked rider + mass of empty bucket. Now we will add 50 grams to the
total mass, so the total mass of this system is always mass of naked rider + mass of empty bucket + 50
grams. But we will move the 50 grams around, so that the values for m1 (top mass) and m2 (hanging
mass) change, while keeping the total mass of the system constant.
Starting with 50 grams (thats .05 kg) sitting on the naked rider, and no extra mass in the empty bucket,
predict what the acceleration should be. If you move 10 grams from the naked rider into the empty
bucket, predict what the acceleration should be. (Hint: the total mass is constant, but what happened to the
net force when you moved mass from the top to the bottom?)
Repeat this calculation in increments of 10 grams, until the rider is once again naked, and the bucket now
contains all 50 grams. Use the following table as a guide:
m1
naked rider + 50 gr
naked rider + 40 gr
naked rider + 30 gr
naked rider + 20 gr
naked rider + 10 gr
naked rider

m2
empty bucket
bucket + 10 gr
bucket + 20 gr
bucket + 30 gr
bucket + 40 gr
bucket + 50 gr

a = m2g/(m1+m2)

F-net = m2g

These are your predicted values! We always go to the theory and make predictions before we do an
experiment. Why? Because we understand that the laws of physics hold true, and we trust the predictions
to allow us to evaluate whether our experiment is within reason.
Making the graph: Use Excel to graph F-net as a function of acceleration. Use the Scatter Plot option
with no connecting line, then add a trend line. Use the Linear Trend option, and use the option to print the
equation on the graph.
What is your equation from Excel? (should be in the form of y = mx)
In this graph, y stands for Net Force, and x stands for acceleration. What does the slope of this line
represent?

Print out your predicted graph and tape or paste it into your lab notebook. This is your predicted
graph of Fnet, external = mtotala. Now well run the experiment. We will time how long it takes the rider
to pass through two photogates as we change the distribution of the mass. We will experimentally
derive the acceleration from the time, and compare our results with our predictions.
III.

Running the experiment:

1. Set the naked rider + 50 grams on the air track, with a string looped over the pulley. Cut the
string to a length such that when the rider has reached the end of the track, the empty bucket
will not hit the floor.
2. Position the on photogate just ahead of the flag, so that when you turn on the air
(removing the friction that is keeping the rider from sliding), the gate will turn on as close as
possible to when the rider starts from rest.
3. Position the off gate at distance along the track from the first gate, so that the flag will stop
the timer before the bucket hits the floor. Call this distance x, and measure it. We know that
as the rider glides across the distance x, the bucket falls through the same distance, in the
vertical direction, so that x = y.
4. With just the naked rider and the empty bucket, let the system accelerate through the gates a
few times to be sure it works. After each run, check to make sure the photogates are at the
same positions, so that x = y = constant for all the runs.
5. Taking data:
a. Start with 50 grams on the naked rider, and no extra mass in the bucket. Set up the
system, and turn on the air. You should record a time t in the photogates. Check
that the gates have not moved, and repeat this measurement 4 more times, for a total
of five trials.
b. Now move 10 grams to the bucket, and repeat the measurement of the time interval,
t, for the rider to cross the constant distance x between the photogates. Again,
take five trials.
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c. Repeat this procedure three more times, moving 10 grams at a time from the rider to
the bucket, until the rider is naked and the bucket contains all 50 grams.
For each trial, record your times in a data table in this format:
m1

m2

m-total

F-external = m2g

t
trial 1
trial 2
trial 3
trial 4
trial 5
average

The masses m1 (on top) and m2 (hanging) should be the same as in your predicted graph.
You can enter these into Excel now, or just write the graphs in your notebooks.
6. Calculating the acceleration for each run.
Now, using the average value for t that you found for each distribution of mass, calculate
the acceleration purely from the stand point of the equations of motion:
x = at2

a = 2x/t2

We know this has some built-in error. What, in your opinion, are the main sources of
error?

7. Finally, graph F-external (m2g) vs. calculated acceleration, for each configuration of mass
using Excel. Again, select the Scatter Plot option. Add a trend line, and select the option to
print the equation on the graph. Print out, and compare to your theoretical graph.

IV.

Analysis: Comparing predicted values to experimental values.

1. Eyeball comparison: Were your results close to your predictions? To see this, make a third
graph that shows the net external force for each configuration of the total mass on the y-axis, and
the acceleration on the x-axis. Use both data sets, and put both trend lines on the same graph. (Do
something clever, like use different symbols for the predicted and the experimental values.)
Finally, discuss possible sources of error, both random as well as systematic. Whereas the ball shoot had
random errors, this experiment has one glaring systematic error what is it?
We will skip the quantitative least squares analysis calculations in order that you may finish this lab in
one lab period!
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