PhysicsLAB Lab
LabPro: Uniformly Accelerated Motion
Purpose
 
This lab is going to investigate and collect data from rolling carts up and down inclined planes using combinations of these modes of linear acceleration:
 
  • Speeding up away from the detector
  • Slowing down away from the detector
  • Slowing down towards the detector
  • Speeding up towards the detector
 
 
Materials
 
  • LabPro Interface
  • Motion Detector w/ C-clamp
  • USB Cable
  • DIG/Sonic Cable
  • Wooden Ramp
  • Wooden Cart
 
 
Under the Start Menu, Follow:
Start > Programs > Vernier Software > Logger Pro 3.1
 
Logger Pro 3.1 should automatically set up graphs according to the connected sensors. With the Motion Detector properly connected, the program should display graphs of position versus time and velocity versus time.
 
Elevate one side of the wooden ramp with a stool and fasten the Motion Detector to the end of the ramp with a C-clamp.
 
When you are ready to obtain data, hit the "Collect" button on the top right-hand side of the program window.
 
Note: Do not allow the cart to roll within roughly 0.4 meters of the sensor during collection. This will cause faulty returns and skew the data.
 
 
Target Graphs
 
Your purpose is to learn how to tilt the boards and roll your cart so as to recreate each of the following position-time graphs. Once obtained, sketch each accompanying velocity-time graphs on the "green axes" provided.
 
 
          
 
             
 
 
Conclusions
 
Refer to the following information for the next three questions.

1. What is the generic shape during accelerated motion for each of the following. Choose one of the following three terms: horizontal line, oblique line, parabola
(a) position-time graph?
 
(b) velocity-time graph?
 
(c) acceleration-time graph?
 
Refer to the following information for the next two questions.

2. Choose the two (2) types of activity which resulted in your position-time graph
(a) moving to a higher final vertical position



 
(b) moving to a lower final vertical position



 
Refer to the following information for the next two questions.

3. Choose the two (2) types of activity which resulted in your velocity-time graph being drawn
(a) in quadrant I



 
(b) in quadrant IV



 
Refer to the following information for the next two questions.

4. Describe the two (2) types of activity which resulted in your velocity-time graph
having a positive slope - - that is a > 0.



 
In which quadrant I or IV would an accompanying acceleration vs time graph for these activities be drawn?
 
Refer to the following information for the next two questions.

5. Describe the two (2) types of activity which resulted in your velocity-time graph
having a negative slope - - that is a < 0.



 
In which quadrant I or IV would an accompanying acceleration vs time graph for these activities be drawn?
 
Refer to the following information for the next eleven questions.

6. These graphs represent a related "set." Show how you either obtained or verified the requested information from the diagram which accompanies each question. Neatly, show your calculations for each answer.
 
According to these graphs, for how many seconds did the experiment last? 

What was the cart's initial position? 

In which direction was the cart moving?
 
What was the cart's initial speed? 

What was the cart's final speed? 

Was the cart speeding up or slowing down?
 
According to the velocity-time provided, what total distance did the cart travel along the ramp? 

What is the numerical value of P on the position-time graph provided? 

According to the velocity-time graph provided, what was the numerical value of the cart's acceleration?
 

What is the numerical value of A on the acceleration-time? 

According to the acceleration-time graph, what was the change in the cart's velocity? 

 
 
Refer to the following information for the next question.

7. On the position-time graph provided, sketch the following "story."
 
A turtle starts from a state of rest 1 meter from the side of a busy road. After waiting for 5 seconds and watching for on-coming traffic, the turtle decides that it is safe to cross the 6 meter-wide road. He takes 3 seconds to accelerate as he moves up to the edge of the road. Keeping his final speed constant, the turtle hurries across the road in 9 seconds. As soon as he successfully reaches the other side of the road, he takes 2 more seconds to quickly slow to a stop 1 meter off the road in the deep, cool grass.
 
 
What was the turtle's average speed during his journey? 




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