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LAB Physics P and D

This experiment investigates the relationship between the velocity of a falling mass and the depth a nail is driven into wood. A concrete block is dropped from increasing heights onto a nail in a board, and the velocity calculated from the fall time. The depth and velocity are logged and graphed as log-log plot. From the line of best fit, the gradient determines the exponent n in the relationship d=kV^n between depth d and velocity V. Sources of error include stopwatch accuracy and ensuring the nail is driven to the same initial depth. Limitations are air resistance and board durability.

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Aldayne Parkes
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451 views

LAB Physics P and D

This experiment investigates the relationship between the velocity of a falling mass and the depth a nail is driven into wood. A concrete block is dropped from increasing heights onto a nail in a board, and the velocity calculated from the fall time. The depth and velocity are logged and graphed as log-log plot. From the line of best fit, the gradient determines the exponent n in the relationship d=kV^n between depth d and velocity V. Sources of error include stopwatch accuracy and ensuring the nail is driven to the same initial depth. Limitations are air resistance and board durability.

Uploaded by

Aldayne Parkes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LAB#:

Title: Force

Problem statement: A hammer is often used to force 2a nail into wood. The faster the hammer
moves, the deeper the nail goes into the wood. This can be represented in a laboratory by a mass
falling vertically onto a nail. It is suggested that the depth of the nail in the wood is related to the
velocity ‘v’ to the mass at the instant it hits the nail by the equation: d = kvn, where ‘k’ and ‘n’ are
constants. Design a laboratory experiment to investigate the relationship between ‘v’ and ‘d’ so as to
determine the value for n.

Hypothesis: The greater the velocity of a falling mass the greater the depth at which a nail is driven
into a wooden board.

Aim: To determine if the velocity of a falling mass of concrete block will affect the depth of a nail in a
wooden board.

Apparatus: Small concrete block, tape measure, nail, wooden board, stop watch, hammer.

Theory:
A force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with
mass to change its velocity. It is measured in the SI unit of newton (N). Velocity is the rate of change
of position with time and is measured in the SI unit (ms-1). The velocity of a concrete block will affect
the depth at which a nail is driven into a wooden board. This is because the higher the drop height
means higher final velocity, and therefore larger impact force to drive the nail further into wooden
board. The relationship between the depth of the nail in the wood is related to the velocity ‘v’ to the
mass at the instant it hits the nail by the equation: d = kvn

D is the depth of the nail

V is the velocity of the concrete block

K and n are constants

Variables:

Manipulated: The velocity of the concrete block.

Responding: The depth of the nail.

Controlled: The mass of the concrete block used in the experiment.


Diagram:

Procedure:

1. Obtain all materials


2. Place wooden board on a flat surface and use a hammer to drive one nail one metre into
wooden board to stay upright.
3. Raise a small concrete block at a height of 0.4 metre and let go. Use stop watch to record the
time taken for the concrete block to fall and hit the nail.
4. Use a tape measure to measure the depth at which the nail has driven into the wooden
board.
5. Repeat procedure 2-4 five times at different sections on the wooden board and increase the
height each time.
6. Record the results in a suitable table.
7. Calculate the velocity using the time taken and the height.
8. Plot a graph of depth of the nail in wooden board as log D on y axis and velocity as log V on x
axis.

Results:

TABLE SHOWING THE VELOCITY OF THE CONCRETE BLOCK, THE HEIGHT AT WHICH IT WAS PLACED
AND THE TIME TAKEN TO HIT THE NAIL.

Height/m Time taken/s Depth of the Velocity/ms-1 Log D Log V


nail in wooden
board/D
Treatment of results:

1. Make d = kvn into a linear equation.


2. Calculate the gradient.
3. Value for n.
4. What is the y intercept?
5. What is the value of K?
6. Calculate the velocity of the falling concrete block.

Source of error: 1. Stop watch may not have been zeroed before measuring time.

2. Nail was not hammered exactly one metre into wooden board.

Precautions:

1. Ensure stop watch is zeroed before measuring time.

2. Ensure nail is hammered one metre into wooden board by using tape measure to measure it.\

Limitations:

The amount of air resistance experienced by the concrete block as it falls through the air.

(2) The durability of the wooden board.

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