Assignment 09

We introduce the relationship among net force, acceleration and mass (Newton's Second Law), and begin a series of experiments to validate this relationship.

The q_a_ exercise for this assignment introduces and develops the following ideas:

• The acceleration of a mass is proportional to net force on the mass.
• The force exerted by gravity on a mass is called the weight and is equal to the product of the mass and the acceleration of gravity.
• A Newton is the net force required to accelerate a 1 kg mass at 1 m/s^2.

The 'seed' question is concerned with the relationship between percent error in timing and the resulting uncertainties in calculated average velocity and average acceleration.

The lab exercises address the following:

• acceleration vs. ramp slope for a ball rolling down an incline
• the proportionality of net force and acceleration
• right-left vs. left-right ramp slopes and the question of symmetry
• deterioration of difference quotients
• mathematical smoothing

The class notes address

• constancy of acceleration on a ramp
• acceleration proportional to net force
• experiment:  change in F_net `ds vs. change in v^2