Colegio Catlico Notre Dame

Science Department

Experiment #1: Cart on a Ramp

Physics 11th Grade

Ral Daz
Partners:
Yadiel Ramrez
ngel Cruz
Wilbert Cruz

I.

Materials
-computer
-Vernier computer interface
-Logger Pro
-Vernier Motion Detector

II.

-Motion Detector Bracket

-Vernier Dynamics Cart with plunger

Objectives
o
o
o
o

III.

-Vernier Dynamics Track

-Adjustable End Stop

Collect position, velocity, and acceleration data as the cart rolls freely up and down
an incline
Analyze position vs. time, velocity vs. time, and acceleration vs. time graphs.
Determine the best fit equations for the position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs.
Determine the mean acceleration from the acceleration vs. time graphs.

Procedure
Part 1:
1. Connect the Motion Detector to the digital (DIG) port of the interface. Set the Motion
Detector sensitivity switch to Track.
2. Confirm that your Dynamics Track, Adjustable End Stop, and Motion Detector are
assembled as shown in Figure 1. Adjust the head of the motion detector so that it is
pointing straight down the track, or angled up just a little.
3. Open the file 03 Cart on Ramp from the Physics with Vernier folder.
4. Place the cart on the track near the end stop. Face the plunger away from the Motion
Detector. Click Collect to begin data collection. You will notice a clicking sound from the
Motion Detector. Wait about a second, then briefly push the cart up the incline, letting it
roll freely up nearly to the top, and then back down. Catch the cart as it nears the end
stop.
5. Examine the position vs. time graph. Repeat Step 4 if your position vs. time graph does
not show an area of smoothly changing position. Check with your instructor if you are
not sure whether you need to repeat data collection.
6. Proceed to the Analysis questions for Part 1 before proceeding to Part 2 [1].

Part 2:
7. Your cart can bounce against the end stop with its plunger. Practice starting the
cart so it bounces at least twice during data collection.
8. Collect another set of Motion Detector data showing two or more bounces.
9. Proceed to the Analysis questions for Part 2[1].
[1]

IV.

Analysis for both parts is located in the Data Analysis section.

Data
Length of incline: 1.21m

Set 1 (no bounces): Run 1 to Run 3

Height of track: 0.06m

Set 2 (two bounces): Run 4 to Run 6

Run 1:
Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.00s

1.148m

-0.005m/s

0.033m/s2

1.00s

0.741m

-0.703m/s

0.209m/s2

2.00s

0.182m

-0.035m/s

1.476m/s2

3.00s

0.267m

0.246m/s

0.193m/s2

4.00s

0.574m

0.377m/s

0.165m/s2

5.00s

1.025m

0.516m/s

0.086m/s2

Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.00s

1.152m

0.000m/s

0.005m/s2

1.00s

0.761m

-0.549m/s

0.211m/s2

2.00s

0.320m

-0.335m/s

0.143m/s2

3.00s

0.267m

0.246m/s

0.193m/s2

4.00s

0.574m

0.377m/s

0.165m/s2

5.00s

1.025m

0.516m/s

0.086m/s2

Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

Run 2:

Run 3:

0.00s

1.135m

0.000m/s

0.000m/s2

1.00s

0.892m

-0.652m/s

0.204m/s2

2.00s

0.348m

-0.438m/s

0.153m/s2

3.00s

0.182m

0.000m/s

0.101m/s2

4.00s

0.253m

0.208m/s

0.178m/s2

5.00s

0.525m

0.335m/s

0.071m/s2

Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.00s
1.00s
2.00s
3.00s
4.00s
5.00s
6.00s
7.00s
8.00s
9.00s
10.00s

1.138m
0.555m
0.183m
0.419m
0.831m
0.961m
0.720m
0.668m
0.784m
1.048m
0.959m

-0.000m/s
-0.644m/s
0.004m/s
0.332m/s
0.485m/s
-0.338m/s
-0.144m/s
0.045m/s
0.190m/s
0.338m/s
-0.127m/s

-0.423m/s2
0.305m/s2
0.127m/s2
0.063m/s2
0.139m/s2
0.194m/s2
0.193m/s2
0.142m/s2
0.157m/s2
-0.002m/s2
0.109m/s2

Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.00s
1.00s
2.00s
3.00s
4.00s
5.00s
6.00s
7.00s
8.00s
9.00s
10.00s

1.133m
0.719m
0.181m
0.327m
0.699m
1.066m
0.782m
0.693m
0.784m
1.048m
0.959m

0.005m/s
-0.655m/s
-0.109m/s
0.302m/s
0.446m/s
-0.375m/s
-0.187m/s
0.008m/s
0.190m/s
0.338m/s
-0.127m/s

0.160m/s2
0.194m/s2
2.306m/s2
0.096m/s2
0.128m/s2
-0.548m/s2
0.197m/s2
0.183m/s2
0.157m/s2
-0.002m/s2
0.109m/s2

Run 4:

Run 5:

Run 6:
Time (s)

Position (m)

0.00s
1.137m
1.00s
0.728m
2.00s
0.184m
3.00s
0.374m
4.00s
0.790m
5.00s
0.986m
6.00s
0.727m
7.00s
0.662m
8.00s
0.767m
9.00s
1.021m
10.00s
0.974m
Average Data Collected from Set 1 (Runs 1 through 3):

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.002m/s
-0.712m/s
0.003m/s
0.322m/s
0.484m/s
-0.357m/s
-0.161m/s
0.028m/s
0.180m/s
0.328m/s
-0.136m/s

0.022m/s2
0.181m/s2
0.623m/s2
0.223m/s2
0.139m/s2
0.194m/s2
0.200m/s2
0.157m/s2
0.149m/s2
0.150m/s2
0.098m/s2

Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.00s
1.00s
2.00s
3.00s
4.00s
5.00s

1.145m
0.798m
0.283m
0.239m
0.467m
0.858m

-0.002m/s
-0.635m/s
0.269m/s
0.164m/s
0.321m/s
0.456m/s

0.013m/s2
0.208m/s2
0.591m/s2
0.162m/s2
0.169m/s2
0.081m/s2

Set 1 Averages Graphs:

Position Vs. Time (Set 1)

1.2
1
0.8
Time (s)

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2 0

Position (m)

Velocity vs. Time (Set 1)

0.6
0.4
0.2
Velocity (m/s)

0
-0.2 0

-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
Time (s)

Acceleration vs. Time (Set 1)

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
Acceleration (m/s^2) 0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

Time (s)

Average Data Collected from Set 2 (Runs 4 to 6)

Time (s)

Position (m)

Velocity (m/s)

Acceleration (m/s2)

0.00s
1.00s
2.00s
3.00s
4.00s
5.00s
6.00s
7.00s
8.00s
9.00s
10.00s

1.136m
0.667m
0.183m
0.373m
0.773m
1.004m
0.743m
0.674m
0.778m
1.039m
0.964m

0.002m/s
-0.669m/s
-0.034m/s
0.319m/s
0.472m/s
-0.357m/s
-0.164m/s
0.027m/s
0.187m/s
0.335m/s
-0.130m/s

-0.080m/s2
0.559m/s2
1.019m/s2
0.127m/s2
0.135m/s2
-0.053m/s2
0.197m/s2
0.161m/s2
0.154m/s2
0.049m/s2
0.105m/s2

Set 2 Averages Graphs:

Position vs. Time (Set 2)

1.5
1
Position (m)

0.5
0
0

10

12

Time (s)

Velocity vs. Time (Set 2)

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Velocity (m/s)
-0.2 0
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8

10

12

Time (s)

Acceleration vs. Time (Set 2)

1.5
1
Acceleration (m/s^2)

0.5
0
0

-0.5
Time (s)

10 12

V.

Calculations
Run 1 to Run 3: Average Data at 0.00s [2]
Position (m):

1.148+1.152+1.135
3
Velocity (m/s):

= 1.145m

0.005+0.000+ 0.000
=0.001m/ s
3
Acceleration (m/s2):

0.423+0.160+ 0.022
3

= 0.013m/s2

Run 4 to Run 6: Average Data at 0.00s [2]

Position (m):

1.138+1.133+ 1.137
3

= 1.136m

Velocity (m/s):

0.000+ 0.005+ 0.002

3

= 0.002m/s

Acceleration (m/s2):

0.423+0.160+ 0.022
3

= -0.080m/s2

[2]

As all other averages for the different times are calculated the same way as the examples, the need for the calculations of all
averages with their respective times is not required.

VI.

Data Analysis
As seen in the data collected, once the cart was pushed from its initial starting point on the
incline, its position declined as it was nearing the Motion Detector. Once it reached the top
and began its way down the incline, its position gradually increased, as the distance between
the Motion Detector and the cart increased. This is true for Runs 1 through 3, as Runs 4

through 6 included two bounces between the cart and its starting point (making its position
vary as the bounces took place).
The cart, going up the incline, had its velocity constantly decreasing as it reached the top. Its
acceleration, however, stayed at the same level (but not constant) until reaching the top of the
incline. Somewhere between two to three seconds in Runs 1 through 3, the carts position
relative to the Motion Detector was zero. As it stopped completely for a brief instant, its
velocity equaled 0m/s. This also implies that its acceleration was 0m/s 2 at that point.
The carts run from 1 second to 5 seconds remained mostly the same in Runs 4 through 6 as
Runs 1 through 3. This time, however, the Motion Detector was utilized for 10 seconds, in
order to capture the two bounces that the cart was supposed to perform. As the car bounced,
its position from the Motion Detector varied, getting closer and farther away. This also
implies that its velocity and acceleration varied between the bounces.
The graphs of the Runs were recorded by calculating the averages of the acceleration,
velocity, and position in Runs 1 through 3 (Set 1) and Runs 4 through 6 (Set 2), seeing as
Runs 1 through 3 featured no bounces and Runs 4 through 6 featured an additional 5 seconds
and two bounces. Both position graphs featured different graphs, but both the velocity and the
acceleration pairs were quite similar, only with an added curve (representing the bounce).
Some potential errors that could have affected the data collection might have been misread
information, the pushing of the car wasnt hard enough, and that the incline mightve been
badly built.

VI.

Conclusion

Physics is a branch of science that studies the laws of nature that are applied in motion. From measuring
the structure of the universe to investigating the incredibly diminutive structure of the atom, physics can
be applied to mostly everything in existence. The basic principles in Physics include three different
variables: position (m), velocity (m/s), and acceleration (m/s 2). All of these are applied in different forms,
from the molecular level to the great expanse of space. In this experiment, however, it was applied to a
simple build of a ramp, a cart, and a Motion Detector.

The cart, after being pushed, was meant to reach the very top of the incline (closest to the Motion
Detector) and later return to its initial position in 5 seconds. This was performed 3 times, in which the
values remained mostly the same. After Set 1, another separate Set was performed in order to record two
bounces against the end stop. Due to this, the Motion Detector was set to record 10 seconds instead of the
original 5 seconds. After the data was collected, the average velocity, position, and acceleration values per
seconds from Set 1 and Set 2 were calculated in order to create a more complete set of graphs. The values
also differed, but the graphs were mostly the same, only with the added bounces. The only exception to
this was Set 2s position graph, as it was vastly different from Set 1s (one increasing and one decreasing).
Time, being the independent variable in these graphs, was placed in the X-axis, while all the other
variables (position, velocity, acceleration) were placed on the Y-axis, as they were recorded as the
dependent variables. When the cart got to the top of the incline, it reached a point in its course that can be
likened to free fall, only with zero velocity. Due to it stopping for a brief instant in the top, its
acceleration, velocity, and possibly its position, were equal to zero.
To record all of this data, a Logger Pro was utilized. After being connected to the DIG port, the Motion
Detector activated a program in the Logger Pro that was set to record the data in this specific experiment.
The data was collected in 6 separate runs: 3 for when the cart didnt bounce, 3 for when it did bounce.
Once the cart was pushed, the Motion Detector began to make a clicking noise as it recorded the data. The
Logger Pro began to make the graphs made by the motion of the cart in real time, as the cart moved
closer and farther away from the Motion Detector. Overall, all the data was collected without any
apparent error.
Within the list of possible errors that were done while collecting the data, the car couldve been pushed
too fast or too slow, causing the Motion Detector to not record it until it reached the peak point. Another
error couldve been misread instructions that were located in the lab paper handed to the group, as ones
eyesight couldve read one thing as another, or just an error in the person recording the data. Another,
more unlikely error could be a glitch in the Motion Detector or Logger Pro, as any technology can be
glitchy to some extent.
In conclusion, the data collected presented a look at the basics of Physics: recording position, velocity,
and acceleration. The graphs shown also displayed a look at what was to be expected from a system that
is affected by many external forces, such as air resistance, gravity, etc. Physics, as a branch of science,
shows us how the world works, from its most basic system (like the one presented in the experiment),
from how forces affect objects in space. This experiment displayed the simple stuff that will be shown in
any previous and future lab tests.

VII.

References
1. Acceleration: Introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2016, from
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson-1/Acceleration
2. What is velocity? (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2016, from
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion/displacementvelocity-time/a/what-is-velocity
3. Serway, R. A., Ph.D. (2009). Holt Physics. Holt Rinehart Winston.
Pages 4-5