Mousetrap Racer - Applied Forces

[TheScienceKid]

Homework Statement

"Suggest a way of testing Newton’s Law by altering the force applied to your mousetrap racer."

Basically, what the question is asking for is a suggestion for a way of testing Newton’s 2nd law by varying the force on the racer.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Now, I've already tested Newton’s 2nd law by varying the mass.

But when it asks me to vary the force on the car, what does that mean exactly?

Would it be something like this:

The car has a mass of 50kg. I stop it while it is moving initially at 4 meters per second. The force applied to that would be 100N.

Or something about varying gravity and friction, since they are forces acting on the car?

 

[quantumdude]

Well you can't vary gravity. One way to modify the forces acting on the car is to attach a spring to it (you'll need to measure the spring constant).