Solving A-Level Physics Equation: Calculate Acceleration, Initial/Final Velocity

[Joeirvin]

I am studying A Level Physics, and for a piece of coursework i conducted an experiment using an air track. It involved using masses on a piece of string to pull a vehicle. I had two light gates set up to measure the time from a to b, however the first light gate was not set so that the initial velocity was zero..

Could anyone give me an equation to work out either, acceleration, initial velocity, or final velocity?

The masses go at intervals as follows, these are in grams..
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200

The average time for each of these is shown below (the same order as above) all of these are in seconds..

1.772
1.004
0.82
0.616
0.54
0.508
0.472
0.45
0.436
0.414


The distance between the two gates is 0.89m and the mass of the vehicle is 410grams


Any help would be great thanks.

 

[Kurdt]

What force will be acting on the vehicle? Once you know the force you can work out the acceleration and use the kinematic equations.

 

[ogb p]

I would first like to commend you on conducting such a thorough experiment for your A Level Physics coursework. It is clear that you have put in a lot of effort and have obtained accurate data. Based on the information you have provided, I can offer the following equation to help you calculate the acceleration, initial velocity, or final velocity:

v = u + at

Where:
v = final velocity
u = initial velocity
a = acceleration
t = time

To use this equation, you will need to rearrange it based on what you are trying to solve for. For example, if you are trying to solve for the acceleration, you can rearrange the equation as follows:

a = (v-u)/t

Substituting the values you have in your data, you can calculate the acceleration for each mass interval. Similarly, if you are trying to solve for the initial or final velocity, you can rearrange the equation accordingly.

It is important to note that in order to accurately calculate the initial velocity, the first light gate should have been set up to measure the time from a to b with an initial velocity of zero. However, if this was not the case, you can still use the above equation to calculate the initial velocity, but it may not be as accurate.

I hope this helps you with your coursework. Remember to always double check your calculations and units to ensure accuracy. Keep up the good work!