How Does the Change of Mass Affect the Rate at Which an Elastic Powered Car Accelerates?
How Does the Change of Mass Affect the Rate at Which an Elastic Powered Car Accelerates?
Research Question: How does the change of mass affect the acceleration of the Lego Car powered by elastic?
Hypothesis: it was thought that the more weight added to the body of the Lego Car would slow down the initial acceleration, but the car would travel a longer distance due to increased momentum, which might overcome kinetic friction.
Rationale: Some reasons of why that it was thought that the more weight added to the car would increase the overall distance travelled is because in order to stop the Lego car with an example of 40g in it, kinetic friction and the force of gravity will have to work harder to slow the car down, due to Newton’s law of motion. “Objects in motion tend to stay in motion” (physicsclassroom.com) so if the car had no extra weight added to it you would thing that since its lighter the car would have a faster acceleration. Since the car is light it does not take very much power to stop it, therefor kinetic friction could massively affect the velocity in which the car moves at.
Variables:
Independent: for my independent variable it was thought to be most appropriate to be the change in mass such as 0g, 10g, 20g, 30g and 40g we only changed the mass by ten grams each experiment so it would be easier to keep track.
Dependent: for the dependent variable our group measured the amount of time that it takes for the Lego car to travel from 0m->1m, 1m->2m and 3m->4m.
Controlled variables: The List of our controlled variables are the amount of times we wrapped the elastic band around the gear to power the car, the same car with no modifications, the same elastic band with no deliberate alters to It (although it might have stretched out over the series of test that we did), same difference in weight adding 10 grams to each different interval (±0.0001g), equal distance between each interval; 1m, 2m, 3m, 4m and the same timing system
Research Question: How does the change of mass affect the acceleration of the Lego Car powered by elastic?
Hypothesis: it was thought that the more weight added to the body of the Lego Car would slow down the initial acceleration, but the car would travel a longer distance due to increased momentum, which might overcome kinetic friction.
Rationale: Some reasons of why that it was thought that the more weight added to the car would increase the overall distance travelled is because in order to stop the Lego car with an example of 40g in it, kinetic friction and the force of gravity will have to work harder to slow the car down, due to Newton’s law of motion. “Objects in motion tend to stay in motion” (physicsclassroom.com) so if the car had no extra weight added to it you would thing that since its lighter the car would have a faster acceleration. Since the car is light it does not take very much power to stop it, therefor kinetic friction could massively affect the velocity in which the car moves at.
Variables:
Independent: for my independent variable it was thought to be most appropriate to be the change in mass such as 0g, 10g, 20g, 30g and 40g we only changed the mass by ten grams each experiment so it would be easier to keep track.
Dependent: for the dependent variable our group measured the amount of time that it takes for the Lego car to travel from 0m->1m, 1m->2m and 3m->4m.
Controlled variables: The List of our controlled variables are the amount of times we wrapped the elastic band around the gear to power the car, the same car with no modifications, the same elastic band with no deliberate alters to It (although it might have stretched out over the series of test that we did), same difference in weight adding 10 grams to each different interval (±0.0001g), equal distance between each interval; 1m, 2m, 3m, 4m and the same timing system
Bibliography: "Newton 's Laws of Motion." NASA. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. . “Rubber Band Race Car.” N.d. PDF file. “PhysicsClassroom.com” 15 March. 2012. . “Newton’s third Law.” Website.