Acceleration of a Trolley

Acceleration of a Trolley

Plan

An unbalanced force causes an object to accelerate. The acceleration

happens in the same direction as the resultant (or unbalanced) force.

The size of this depends on the mass of the object and the size of the

force.

The force on a small object is bigger than the same force acting on a

bigger object.

If the mass stays the same but the force gets bigger, the acceleration

also increases.

The equation to find acceleration is: [IMAGE][IMAGE] when [IMAGE]=

acceleration, [IMAGE]= velocity at the end, [IMAGE]= velocity at the

start, and [IMAGE]= time

The variables which could affect the acceleration of a trolley down a

ramp are:

The mass of the trolley, - (the size of the trolley), if the same

force acts on a bigger object it will accelerate less than that force

on a smaller object.

The continuous force, - (how much the object is pushed), the bigger

the push or force, the bigger the acceleration.

The gradient of the slope, - (the height of the slope that the object

moves down), the bigger the gradient, the bigger the acceleration will

be as the object travels down it, because less friction acts against

an object which travels down a steeper slope and friction reduces the

acceleration of an object.

The variable which I have chosen to investigate is the gradient of the

slope. I think that out of all the variables, this is the one which is

easiest to measure and to change accurately, ensuring a wide variety

of reliable data.

I predict that the as I increase the height of the slope (or the angle

between the floor and the ramp), the acceleration will increase, due

to a more direct force from gravity caused by less friction on a

steeper slope.

[IMAGE]

Light gate

Light gate

Trolley

Angle between floor and ramp

Ramp

I will measure the acceleration of the trolley by running it down a