Inclined planes, mass' effect on final velocity

AI Thread Summary
The investigation explores how mass affects the final velocity of a truck on an inclined plane. Initial predictions suggested mass would not influence final velocity due to constant acceleration, but results indicated a slight increase in velocity with greater mass. This discrepancy may be attributed to factors such as rolling friction and air resistance, which were not accounted for in the hypothesis. The discussion highlights the importance of considering external forces in practical experiments. Ultimately, the findings suggest that while mass has a minor effect, external factors like friction and air resistance play a significant role in the results.
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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