Accelerating Cart on an Incline: Confirming the Effects of Gravity and Friction

[G.Sulk]

Homework Statement

What type of motion is experienced by a cart rolling down an incline?

Homework Equations

m = Δy / Δx

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm just looking for some confirmation. If an object is on an incline and there is no other force than gravity acting upon it, should the object then accelerate down the incline at 9.8 m/s^2 ?

My results are varying from 13 m/s^2 or 12.1 m/s^2

But shouldn't I be getting less than 9.8 m/s^2 ? Because the cart is slightly affected by friction and air resistance (which is supposed to be negligible for this lab).

Thanks

 

[LowlyPion]

Homework Statement

What type of motion is experienced by a cart rolling down an incline?

Homework Equations

m = Δy / Δx

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm just looking for some confirmation. If an object is on an incline and there is no other force than gravity acting upon it, should the object then accelerate down the incline at 9.8 m/s^2 ?

My results are varying from 13 m/s^2 or 12.1 m/s^2

But shouldn't I be getting less than 9.8 m/s^2 ? Because the cart is slightly affected by friction and air resistance (which is supposed to be negligible for this lab).

Thanks

Welcome to PF.

The angle of the incline determines how much of the 9.8m/s² will accelerate the object.

 

[G.Sulk]

Welcome to PF.

Thanks I plan on being an active member; I'm going to need it for this course ;)

I'm have some trouble understand this concept, how can the acceleration be greater than 9.8 m/s^2

 

[alphysicist]

Thanks I plan on being an active member; I'm going to need it for this course ;)

I'm have some trouble understand this concept, how can the acceleration be greater than 9.8 m/s^2

If the only forces acting are gravity and the forces from the ramp, then I would think that the acceleration would be less than 9.8m/s^2.

Can you show how you got the accelerations of 13m/s^2? (What measurements did you take, and what did you do with them.)

 

[louie3006]

you have to draw a table and then plot speed/second and as you go from 1 sec to 2 sec you'll see that the cart is accelerating and its even going faster from sec3 to sec 5. ( do you get the picture)

 

[G.Sulk]

I was making a novice mistake. My actual acceleration ended up being 1.3 m/s^2. Thanks for the help everyone.