Car Velocity Lab

How do the predicted velocity and the measured velocity compare in each case?  Did your measurements agree with your initial prediction?  If not, why? 

The predicted velocity and measured velocity are fairly close. Although there are slight differences due to uncertainties, they generally align with our initial predictions. because  we only considered the velocity; other factors, such as friction, were not taken into account, which may have caused slight differences.

Does the launch velocity of the car depend on its mass?  The mass of the block?  The distance the block falls?  Is there a choice of distance and block mass for which the mass of the car does not make much difference to its launch velocity?

The launch velocity of the car depends on its mass, the mass of the block, and the distance falls. However the car is significantly more massive than the block, the car’s mass becomes less important in determining the launch velocity. This is because a more massive object is harder to accelerate. Therefore, if the car’s mass is much greater than the block’s, the launch velocity is primarily determined by the block’s mass and distance it falls.

If the same mass block falls through the same distance, but you change the mass of the cart, does the force that the string exerts on the cart change?  In other words, is the force of the string on object A always equal to the weight of object A?  Is it ever equal to the weight of object A? Explain your reasoning.  

The force the string exerts on the cart changes if the cart's mass changes. A heavier cart requires a greater force from the string to accelerate.  Generally, this force is not equal to the cart's weight because the string pulls horizontally to cause motion, while weight acts downwards due to gravity.  

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