Physics coursework: Trolley experiment

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Physics coursework: Trolley experiment

Aim:

The aim of this experiment is to find out whether or not the mass of a trolley effects its acceleration when traveling down a ramp kept at a fixed height.

Planning

Set up the experiment as shown above. Run the cart down the ramp once to make sure the cart runs in a straight line. Start the cart with its front wheels behind the starting line each time. The run finishes when the back wheels cross the finishing line. Three runs will be taken for each weight and three runs will be taken without a weight. We decided to take seven different observations, increasing the weight by 0.8kg each time

Apparatus needed: 0.8kg weights (8)to add on to the cart)

Ramp (1.5m in length)

Cart (same cart used all the time)

Books (to hold up the ramp at a fixed height)

Stop watch (for timing the experiment)

Sand bags (to stop the car at the end of each run)

Safety: To keep this experiment safe, different precautions have to be taken.

* Sand bags will be used to