Investigating the forces acting on a trolley on a ramp
Physics coursework Investigating the forces acting on a trolley on a ramp Contents Page 3 -> Method Page 4 -> Theory Page 7 -> Results Page 9 -> Error Page 18 -> Appendixes Method The aim of the investigation was to investigate the forces acting on a trolley as it rolled down a ramp, and also to investigate the factors which may contribute to the results. To do this, a trolley and a ramp set at a variety of angles of incline were used, and then, using a light gate, the speed at which the trolley was moving when it passed through the light gate was calculated. The variables were the starting distance of the trolley in relation to the light gate and the angle of the ramp. Firstly, the equipment was set up as in fig. 1. The trolley was then run down the ramp with a piece of card attached to the side. This card was of a known length and could hence be used to calculate the velocity at which the trolley was moving. While the light gate did actually calculate the velocity, it only gave the answer to 2 decimal places, whereas it gave the time to 2 decimal places. Furthermore, the light gate calculated the velocity with the assumption that the card was exactly 100mm, whereas when the card was actually measured, this was a value closer to 102mm (±0.5mm). Next, after the trolley had passed through the light gate, the information from that 'run' appeared
viscosity of golden syrup
An Investigation to Measure the Viscosity of Golden Syrup. Aim: - the aim of my investigation is to measure the viscosity of golden syrup and see if this value depends upon the temperature of the syrup. Apparatus not included in diagram: - micrometer, 5 ball bearings as provided by the school, stop clock, magnet, marker pen, metre rule, weighing scales, thermometer, water bath. (The measuring cylinder is 50 cm3) Certain aspects have to be taken into account to ensure that the experiment is carried out safely. These are: - o If heating the syrup, be careful not to burn yourself on hot equipment. o Goggles should be worn to prevent syrup from entering the eye. Variables that need to be considered are:- the size of the ball bearing to be dropped, the temperature of the syrup, the amount of syrup used, the length that the distance travelled is measured over, the depth beneath the top that the speed and distance are measured from, the type of syrup used and the density of the syrup. I have decided to change the size of the ball bearing to see how this effects viscosity and a further study will be done changing the temperature of the syrup. The differing size ball bearings will be dropped at a constant temperature. To make this a fair test I will have to keep all other variables the same. To do this I will:- o Keep the amount of syrup used, the type of syrup (golden)
Measurement of the resistivity of Nichrome
Measurement of the Resistivity of Nichrome (NiCr) Introduction In this coursework, I am going to measure the resistivity of Nichrome. Nichrome is a non-magnetic alloy of nickel and chromium. It is a good conductor of electricity and heat, and has a high melting point. Due to its relatively high resistivity and resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, the wire made of Nichrome is widely used in heating elements, such as in hair dryers, electric ovens and toasters. What does Resistivity mean? Resistivity (also known as electrical resistance) is a measure of how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current. It is normally static and could be varied by changing the temperature. In general, resistivity of metals increases with temperature, while the resistivity of semiconductors decreases with increasing temperature. High values of resistivity imply that the material making up the wire is very resistant to the flow of electricity. Low values of resistivity imply that the material making up the wire transmits electrical current very easily. The unit of resistivity is the ohm meter (? m). The resistivity ? (rho) of a material is given by > ? is the static resistivity (measured in ohm metres, ?·m); > R is the electrical resistance of a uniform specimen of the material (measured in ohms, ?); > L is the length of the piece of material (measured in
AS OCR B Advancing Physics Coursework - Making Sense of Data
AS Physics Coursework - Making Sense of Data An experiment was carried out in which the velocity of a falling mass was measured using a light gate: The results are shown in the table below: Height Above Light Gate (mm) Velocity #1 (m/s) Velocity #2 (m/s) Velocity #3 (m/s) 20 0.61 0.62 0.51 70 .12 .11 .10 20 .52 .62 .50 70 .76 .72 .79 220 .93 2.03 .99 270 2.26 2.28 2.30 320 2.45 2.50 2.46 370 2.62 2.67 2.63 420 2.84 2.80 2.89 470 2.96 2.97 2.99 520 3.18 3.13 3.20 570 3.30 3.44 3.34 620 3.53 3.53 3.40 670 3.62 3.64 3.67 720 3.84 3.62 3.83 770 3.86 3.84 3.83 820 4.03 3.97 3.99 870 4.18 4.12 4.14 920 4.36 4.41 4.20 Provided with these results I have initially decided to look at any relationship between the actual figures collected, with the plan of calculating and exploring further data later. I am therefore looking at the relationship between the distance the object fell, and its velocity as it passed through the light gate. An average of the velocities measured in each experiment has been calculated and the height at which the weight was dropped has been multiplied by 1000 to convert it to metres. I have created a graph of these values. Distance fallen /m Average Velocity/ ms-1 0.02 0.58 0.07 .11 0.12 .55 0.17 .76 0.22 .98 0.27 2.28 0.32 2.47 0.37 2.64 0.42 2.84 0.47
Internal Resistance of a cell
Topic: Internal Resistance of a cell Aim: To measure the internal resistance and emf (the potential differences across a voltage Source when no current is flowing) and to observe the combination of cells Hypothesis: The emf of the old cell is less than the emf of the new cell but the internal resistance of the old cell is much greater than the new cell. Introduction: Resistance in electricity, property of an electric circuit or part of a circuit that transforms electric energy into heat energy in opposing electric current. Resistance involves collisions of the current-carrying charged particles with fixed particles that make up the structure of the conductors. Resistance is often considered as localized in such devices as lamps, heaters, and resistors, in which it predominates, although it is characteristic of every part of a circuit, including connecting wires and electric transmission lines. (Britannica.2006) The dissipation of electric energy in the form of heat, even though small, affects the amount of electromotive force, or driving voltage, required to produce a given current through the circuit. In fact, the electromotive force V (measured in volts) across a circuit divided by the current I (amperes) through that circuit defines quantitatively the amount of electrical resistance R. Precisely, R = V/I. Thus, if a 12-volt battery steadily drives a 2-ampere
Determination of the acceleration due to gravity (g)
Determination of the acceleration due to gravity (g) By-nanding Li Introduction Gravity is the force at which the earth attracts objects towards it; also know as the weight of objects. When objects fall towards the earth, their acceleration increases because of the gravity. This acceleration due to gravity is dependent on the object's mass. A free falling object, if gravity s the only force acting on an object, then we can know the object will accelerate at a rate of 9.81ms-2 down toward the centre of the earth, this is known as acceleration due to gravity and is given the symbol 'g'. We can find the force causing this acceleration using: F = ma And weight for the object: G = mg Where the 'm' is the mass of object and 'g' is the acceleration due to gravity. However, acceleration due to gravity is not the same through out the universe. The moon has a smaller acceleration due to gravity than the earth. If we were to drop a stone on the moon, it would fall more slowly. This does not mean the mass of the stone is changed from the earth to the moon, this means the moon has less attraction to the stone and the acceleration due to gravity on the moon is about on-sixth of that on the earth: g moon = 1.6 ms-2 In this investigation, I am going to determine the acceleration due to gravity on the earth by using an electronic timer and varying its height of dropping.
Are mobile phones a health risk?
Abstract In this report I aim to determine whether or not mobile phones pose a risk to our health. I will explain how mobile phone electromagnetic radiation can be perceived as dangerous, with reference to the EM spectrum. I will cite scientific sources of evidence which support both sides of the dispute, and will come to a reasoned conclusion as to how likely it is that mobile phones are a health risk. I will also evaluate the credibility of the sources used to support my conclusions, and list all the sources used throughout in a detailed bibliography. Introduction Mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular in today's world; with around 80 million handsets in Britain, there are now more mobiles than people [1]. They've become an essential part of our existence, in business, in our daily lives and in keeping in touch with our loved ones - however, there is growing concern that this technology is causing serious health problems throughout the population, such as lasting brain damage and cancer. The Media consistently tends to portray mobile phones negatively, fuelling the public's fears and misgivings: this study aims to determine from the scientific evidence whether or not mobile phones present a risk to our health. Main Points How might Mobile Phones be Hazardous to our Health? After studying numerous publications, I have found that if there are concerns about how
Albert Einstein - The father of modern physics
The Father of modern physics I think it has to be said that Einstein is arguably the most influential scientist of all time, without his work the world of quantum physics, and physics in general, would be a much darker and less understood place. His work has provoked much of the scientific knowledge we have today and has made physics as a whole a more accessible subject for everyone. His wide influence has made him a household name among many families. Einstein is most in famous for the works he produced in the Annus Mirabili – extraordinary year – in this year he produced four papers, these papers were substantial foundations to modern physics. All of these papers were written in German, their translated titles are as follows: “On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light”, this paper proposed the idea of energy quanta, and put forward an explanation to the Photoelectric Effect. Einstein states that “the energy of a light ray spreading out from a point source is not continuously distributed over an increasing space but consists of a finite number of energy quanta” (Einstein 1905) [1]) this went against the accepted Maxwellian theories of light and radiation, due to this many scientists did not accept this theory, one of these scientists included Niels Bohr, who stated in his Nobel address in 1922 (17 years after Einstein first
Black Holes Research and Report
Contents Page number 3 What is a Black Hole? Black Hole anatomy 4 Types of Black Hole 5 Event horizon radius 6 Mass of a black hole 7 Hawking radiation 8 What happens when Black Holes Collide? Gravitational lensing 10 Einstein rings Evaluation 11 References Black Holes By doing this assignment I aim to gain a better understanding of the physics behind Black Holes What is a Black Hole? To understand a black hole, you must first have an understanding of gravity in space. Imagine yourself on a trampoline; you make an indentation in the trampoline fabric. If someone was to roll a ball past you on the trampoline, it would begin to spiral towards you, down into the indent you have made. This is very similar to the way gravity works in space and time. The 'fabric of spacetime' is an imaginary mesh running through space (see right) which can be deformed and warped by the gravity of stars and planets. This is the principle upon which black holes work. A black hole essentially is an incredibly compact body which has warped space-time enough to make any escape from the force of gravity impossible. They are thought to be at the centre of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. As the name implies, a blackhole cannot emit or reflect any light; making them practically invisible. If enough mass is concentrated into a small enough region, the curvature of
paper cones investigation
Investigation Report Aim Theory When an object is dropped in air, it accelerates. If it is allowed to drop far enough then it can reach its terminal velocity. This is the maximum velocity of the object during its fall and occurs when the upward force of air resistance acting on the object equals the weight of the object. So at terminal velocity... (P.31, Complete Physics, 1999, Pople, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-914734-5) (P.33, Physics 1, 2000, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-78718-1) Looking for a formula for air resistance... F = force of air resistance ? = density of air = 1.2kgm-3 c = coefficient of drag for the object / dimensionless A = cross-sectional area of object hitting the air / m2 v = velocity of the object / ms-1 (http://damonrinard.com/aero/formulas.htm) Looking for a formula for the weight of an object... W = m.g W = weight / N m = mass / kg g = acceleration due to gravity, 9.81Nkg-1 (P.55, Physics, 1991, Robert Hutchings, Nelson, ISBN 0-17-438510-2) So putting these formulae together... From the Physics AS course, v = velocity x = displacement t = time so References to the specification Forces and Motion 2821 Forces, Fields and Energy 2824 Aim of your investigation The aim of this work is to investigate the relationship between the time taken for a paper cone to fall and the mass of the cone. Variables
