Lab 2: Motion with Constant Acceleration
1. Apparatus used: -linear air track
-spacers underneath to measure acceleration
2. Kinematic Equation 1: x = xo + vot + 1/2at^2 3. Kinematic
Equation 2: V=Vo + at
4. Kinematic Equation 3: v^2 = vo^2 + 2a(x-xo)
5. Equation of an object that slides down a nearly frictionless inclined plane:
a = gsin¸
6. What are the forces acting on the glider?: -weight mg (gets resolved into its
components mgcos¸ and mgsin¸)
-normal force N
7. What does a straight line segment in a graph of position versus time
mean?: -the velocity is constant and acceleration is zero
8. what does a curved line in a graph of position versus time mean?: -the
velocity is increasing and the acceleration is positive
9. What is the pattern when a glider strikes and rebounds from the end of
the track?: -when the glider hits the bumper, position peaks on the graph,
meaning velocity = 0 m/s in that instant
-velocity decreases after bumping and the line on the graph eventually evens out
10. How to find the velocity in a time vs position graph?:
11. What are the physical meanings of A, B, and C? Explain.: x= xo + vot
+1/2at^2 -----> y=C+Bt+At^2
A= 1/2a (half of the acceleration)
B= vo (initial velocity)
C= xo (initial position)
12. What are the units of A, B, and C?: A= m/s^2 (acceleration) B= m/s
(velocity) C= m (position)
13. Are the numbers obtained for B and C reasonable? Explain.: -C is
reasonable, 0.1968, because it is close to 0. Our glider did not start exactly on
0, so it makes sense that the value corresponding to xo is not exactly 0
-B seems reasonable because it is -0.08613. The negative may be because we
may have moved the glider backwards slightly when beginning the experiment,
but the B value is still really close to 0
14. Calculate the acceleration of the glider. Use a=gsin¸ to deduce g, the
acceleration due to gravity. To do so you will need to calculate the angle
1/3
1. Apparatus used: -linear air track
-spacers underneath to measure acceleration
2. Kinematic Equation 1: x = xo + vot + 1/2at^2 3. Kinematic
Equation 2: V=Vo + at
4. Kinematic Equation 3: v^2 = vo^2 + 2a(x-xo)
5. Equation of an object that slides down a nearly frictionless inclined plane:
a = gsin¸
6. What are the forces acting on the glider?: -weight mg (gets resolved into its
components mgcos¸ and mgsin¸)
-normal force N
7. What does a straight line segment in a graph of position versus time
mean?: -the velocity is constant and acceleration is zero
8. what does a curved line in a graph of position versus time mean?: -the
velocity is increasing and the acceleration is positive
9. What is the pattern when a glider strikes and rebounds from the end of
the track?: -when the glider hits the bumper, position peaks on the graph,
meaning velocity = 0 m/s in that instant
-velocity decreases after bumping and the line on the graph eventually evens out
10. How to find the velocity in a time vs position graph?:
11. What are the physical meanings of A, B, and C? Explain.: x= xo + vot
+1/2at^2 -----> y=C+Bt+At^2
A= 1/2a (half of the acceleration)
B= vo (initial velocity)
C= xo (initial position)
12. What are the units of A, B, and C?: A= m/s^2 (acceleration) B= m/s
(velocity) C= m (position)
13. Are the numbers obtained for B and C reasonable? Explain.: -C is
reasonable, 0.1968, because it is close to 0. Our glider did not start exactly on
0, so it makes sense that the value corresponding to xo is not exactly 0
-B seems reasonable because it is -0.08613. The negative may be because we
may have moved the glider backwards slightly when beginning the experiment,
but the B value is still really close to 0
14. Calculate the acceleration of the glider. Use a=gsin¸ to deduce g, the
acceleration due to gravity. To do so you will need to calculate the angle
1/3
