Inclined planes, mass' effect on final velocity

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on an investigation of how mass affects the final velocity of a truck rolling down an inclined plane. The experiment, conducted with a consistent ramp angle, revealed that increasing the mass resulted in a slight increase in final velocity, contrary to the initial hypothesis that mass would have no effect. The participants concluded that factors such as air resistance and friction play a significant role in the observed results, suggesting that the theoretical assumptions of equal rolling friction and axle friction coefficients do not hold true in real-world conditions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Basic principles of friction, including rolling and axle friction
  • Knowledge of kinematics, specifically velocity and acceleration
  • Familiarity with experimental design and data collection methods
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of air resistance on moving objects
  • Explore the relationship between mass and acceleration in different friction scenarios
  • Investigate the coefficients of rolling friction for various materials
  • Learn about advanced experimental techniques for measuring velocity and time
USEFUL FOR

Students conducting physics experiments, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in the practical applications of kinematics and friction in real-world scenarios.

Clef
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Okay, so I've been working on an extended practical investigation. And I am a little stuck. Heres a brief overview:
Using a ramp(always at the same angle to the horizontal), and a truck and a stopwatch, I've timed the amount of time it takes for the truck to reach the bottom of the ramp, with different masses. Whilst I predicted that the mass would have no effect on the final velocity because it would not effect the acceleration, my results show that the larger the mass, the final velocity would increase very minorly. Why is this? I am guessing it has to do with friction, or perhaps my hypothesis was incorrect?
 
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Clef said:
Okay, so I've been working on an extended practical investigation. And I am a little stuck. Heres a brief overview:
Using a ramp(always at the same angle to the horizontal), and a truck and a stopwatch, I've timed the amount of time it takes for the truck to reach the bottom of the ramp, with different masses. Whilst I predicted that the mass would have no effect on the final velocity because it would not effect the acceleration, my results show that the larger the mass, the final velocity would increase very minorly. Why is this? I am guessing it has to do with friction, or perhaps my hypothesis was incorrect?
Theoretically, with rolling friction/axle friction coefficients assumed equal for all trucks, their speed would be the same at the bottom, in a vacuum . Your experiment is taking place in air. Thoughts?
 
air resistance, of course!:)
 

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