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Newton's Second Law of Motion: The Atwood Machine

This document describes an experiment using an Atwood's machine to verify Newton's Second Law of Motion. The experiment involves measuring the time it takes for masses of different weights suspended by a string and pulley to fall a fixed distance. These time measurements are then used to calculate the acceleration of the falling masses and compare it to the theoretical acceleration based on the masses. The results show general agreement with Newton's Second Law, though there is some experimental error, and improvements could be made such as allowing a greater distance for the masses to fall.

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Earl Mathew Dangcalan
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699 views

Newton's Second Law of Motion: The Atwood Machine

This document describes an experiment using an Atwood's machine to verify Newton's Second Law of Motion. The experiment involves measuring the time it takes for masses of different weights suspended by a string and pulley to fall a fixed distance. These time measurements are then used to calculate the acceleration of the falling masses and compare it to the theoretical acceleration based on the masses. The results show general agreement with Newton's Second Law, though there is some experimental error, and improvements could be made such as allowing a greater distance for the masses to fall.

Uploaded by

Earl Mathew Dangcalan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Newton's Second Law of Motion: The Atwood Machine

Objective:
To verify the Newton's Second Law of Motion.

Theory:
In an Atwood's machine apparatus two sets of unequal masses are suspended from a string on
either side of a pulley. The larger mass, m2, provides a net force, Fnet = (m2-m1)g thereby
causing both masses to accelerate in line with Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, Fnet = [m1+m2)a.
Combining these 2 equations, the acceleration may be calculated by the equation, 2. = [[m2-m1)/
(m1+m2)]g. It's also possible to see the acceleration of the two masses by measuring the time it
takes for the masses to descend a distance y to the ground, using the equation, am= 2y /t2.
Acceleration are going to be determined from the time measurement data and can be compared
with the worth calculated from the known masses. Differences between these two values of
acceleration are expressed as a zipper uncertainty. Error analysis to account for the 0/o
uncertainty will include the Atwood's machine apparatus, the time measurement process, and
therefore the variability within the observer's data taking.

Materials:
Atwood's Machine
Masses
Stopwatch
String
Ruler

Procedure:
1. Tie two masses of equal weight to opposite ends of the string and run the string over the
highest of the pulley. The string should be long enough in order that one mass can rest on the
table/ground with the opposite dangling near the highest of the stand.
2. Position the masses at different heights from the bottom and discarding.
3. Replace one mass with another that's slightly heavier. Drag the lighter mass down as
far because it will go and release.
4. Replace the identical mass with one that's slightly heavier still and repeat Step 4.
5. Go back to the masses you utilized in Step 4 – one slightly heavier than the opposite. Pull the
lighter mass down as far because it will go.
6. Use a ruler to live the peak of the opposite mass above the table.
7. Grab a stopwatch. Release the mass and begin the watch at the identical time. As soon as you
hear the opposite mass hit the bottom, stop the timer. do that a minimum of 3 times, and record
your times in a very table.
8. For each drop, calculate the acceleration of the masses using the equation: a = 2h / t2, where
h is that the height of the mass before being dropped (in meters), t is that the time it took to fall
(in seconds), and a is that the acceleration in m/s2. Record this within the table similarly.
9. Calculate the acceleration thanks to gravity with the equation: g = a (m1 + m2/ m1 – m2), where
m1 and m2 are the heavier and lighter masses, respectively, and a is that the acceleration from
step 7.
10. Calculate the common g from all of your trials.
11. Replace the mass with a minimum of two other heavier masses and repeat Steps 6-9.

M1 = 0.095 g M2 = 0.050 g Height (m) = 0.2 m


Time (s) Acceleration (m/s2) g(m/s2)
1 1.15 s 0.348 m/s2 1.121 m/s2
2 1.39 s 0.288 m/s2 0.933 m/s2
3 1.80 s 0.222 m/s2 0.711 m/s2

MASS:
SOLUTION:
Conclusion:
With equal masses, the weights won't move. When the weights are unequal, the masses will
move so the heavier one falls. because the difference within the masses increases, the speed with
which it hits the bottom increases further.
By using Atwood's machine, Newton's law was successfully tested. With this experiment, the
measurement of acceleration of the masses resolve from the mass loads, and a worth for the
acceleration of gravity was calculated from time measurements. The results are in close
agreement with the hypothesis that the acceleration of the article observed being directly
proportional to the online force engaged on the article and inversely proportional to the
entire mass of the thing.
Though the info recorded wasn't completely accurate with the calculations conducted with
Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, the approximate values were within one variance. Frictional
force within the Atwood's machine and observer's time interval are the two main sources of
error.
One improvement is to lift the apparatus in order that the space of fall is larger and therefore
the measured fall time is increased. response time errors (essentially constant) are reduced as a
percentage of the time measurements.

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