The weight causes an unbalanced force on the trolley, as it is greater than the friction force. This causes the trolley to accelerate. The smart pulley is connected to the computer, which measures the speed of the string. This is equal to the speed of the trolley.
The acceleration of the trolley is calculated using different weights…
I have found from my results, that the greater the force, the greater the acceleration of the trolley. I have drawn a graph with these results, which will help me to observe any relationship between the weight and the acceleration.
My results were just what I expected. They show that as you double the force, the acceleration also doubles. Therefore, the force is directly proportional to the acceleration…
I have drawn a line of best fit on my graph, which goes through the origin. This indicates that force is directly proportional to the acceleration. This is a reliable conclusion because the line is straight and I believe there were no errors. This further supports the validity and reliability of my results.
The weight produces an unbalanced force on the trolley as it is greater than the force of friction. This causes the trolley to accelerate. When I use heavier weights, the force becomes more unbalanced and the trolley’s acceleration becomes greater.
I predicted that as I used greater weights, the trolley’s acceleration would also be greater. I also believed that the force produced by the weight is directly proportional to the acceleration. My results support this theory, as I have found that as you double the weight, you double the acceleration of the trolley.
Evaluation
I believe my procedure enabled me to reach a very reliable conclusion as I gathered some good evidence to support my prediction. I obtained no anomalous results and I believe that the measurements were extremely accurate as I used a smart pulley, which was connected to the computer that took all the measurements I needed. Therefore, I think that my procedure was very suitable as it enabled me to make a confident, valid conclusion because the evidence I obtained was excellent.
My results support my initial theory that as you double the weight; the acceleration of the trolley also doubles. My graph has a straight line of best fit, which goes through the origin; this proves that the weight and the acceleration of the trolley are directly proportional. This evidence all supports my conclusion that the weight and the acceleration of the trolley are directly proportional.
In order to further improve the reliability of my conclusion, I would repeat the investigation, using narrower ranges, i.e. 0.15, 0.16, 0.18, etc. Yet I believe that the conclusion I have already reached is sufficient enough to support my conclusion.
