Introduction
Rather than being a guided inquiry activity, this activity is a challenge for students in which they apply the knowledge they have already gained.
In the Preliminary Observations, students observe a system with an unknown force acting on it that causes the object to accelerate. Our example is a Fan Cart, but this is not the only possibility. Students are challenged to determine the unknown force magnitude and apply an equilibrant force so that the system will stay still or move at constant velocity.
Objectives
Create equilibrium conditions after measuring acceleration and mass of a system.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Correlations
Teaching to an educational standard? This experiment supports the standards below.
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This experiment is #7 of Physics Explorations and Projects. The experiment in the book includes student instructions as well as instructor information for set up, helpful hints, and sample graphs and data.
