Investigation into the Factors Affecting the Speed of a Trolley on a Slope.

I will find out the speed of the trolley by dividing the distance (10cm) by the time that was read on the stop clock. The results are shown on page . For each reading I will repeat it 3 times on each side of the slope and find the average, thus making this a piece of reliable evidence. I will be investigating the speed at 5 different heights ranging from 1cm to 13cm, and on each height I will be varying the mass of the trolley from 1kg up to 5kg.To make it a fair test I will keep the light gate at the same part of the runway each time and start the trolley off at the same point as well.

PREDICTION:

I predict that the trolley's speed will change due to the varied positions of the runway and the mass of the trolley.

The higher the runway is set, I believe the greater the speed of the trolley will be.

When we vary the mass of the trolley, I estimate that the speed will increase until the trolley gets a bit too heavy. I think that if it gets too heavy then there may be too much force pushing down on it which may affect the speed by slowing it down.

RECORDING THE RESULTS:

I will take the readings down on a simple graph and find the average of each variable. I will use graphs, charts and tables to show my findings as this will make it easier for me to find any evidence of patterns or maybe even anomalous results.

RESULTS:

Looking at the graphs, I have noticed that there are a few anomalous results. If I had of taken the readings more precisely they may have been more exact.

Although the anomalous results do change the graphs slightly, it is still easy to evaluate from the graphs that the higher the slope is set, the faster the speed is (which is a general rule for physics anyway). The mass of the trolley against the speed didn't make that much of a difference.

I think my method is suitable and reliable, on the whole the investigation worked out fine. Sometimes to measure the speed of a trolley we use ticker tape but a light gate, I found, was more accurate and a better piece of scientific equipment. If I had to do the experiment again, the one thing I would change is to get a wider light gate. It was hard to get the trolley to go past it sometimes as the trolley at times seemed to go off its course.

Sarah Troy Candidate 2835

Hautlieu School