Name:

Newtons Second Law Balloon Lab

Date:

Physics Unit 4: Force Although many of you have probably never heard of Newtons Second Law, every one of you has used it before. It is part of everyday life; the heavier something is, the harder you have to push to move it. You dont really spend a lot of time thinking about it because your brain knows it so well. For example, if you think a door is heavy, your brain will automatically tell you to apply a lot of force, but if the door is actually light and you use a lot of force, you will end up slamming it! Today you are going to investigate the relationship between the force acting on an object and the amount of acceleration the object experiences. You will also investigate the relationship between the mass of an object and the amount of acceleration it experiences given a constant force.
1. You and your group will obtain the following: 3 balloons, a straw, a 0.75 m piece of string, a meter stick, a few small hanging masses, and a length of fishing line long enough to stretch most of the way across the room.
(Your group will only be allowed the 3 balloons, so be careful not to pop them!)

2. First Test: Changing Mass. a. You and your group will pick five different amounts of mass to test. (Mass includes the balloons mass and all of the masses you attach to the balloon.) You will blow the balloon up to the SAME circumference each time (you choose this circumference). Record each mass and the circumference. b. You will loop one end of the fishing line through the straw. Blow up the balloon to your chosen circumference and hold it shut (dont tie it shut). Tape the balloon to the straw and hold the fishing line taut (completely horizontal). c. Measure and record the distance that the balloon moved.

Circumference of Balloon (m)

Mass vs. Distance Data

Mass (kg)

Distance Moved (m)

3. Second Test: Changing Force. a. You and your group will pick five circumferences (forces) to test. You will attach the SAME amount of mass to the balloon each time. Record the mass and each circumference. a. You will loop one end of the fishing line through the straw. Blow up the balloon to your chosen circumference and hold it shut (dont tie it shut). Tape the balloon to the straw and hold the fishing line taut (completely horizontal). b. Measure and record the distance that the balloon moved.

Circumference of Balloon (m)

Force vs. Distance Data

Mass (kg)

Distance Moved (m)

At this point in the lab, please take a moment to put all of your materials back where you found them. PLEASE TAKE YOUR FISHING LINE AND WIND IT UP INTO A NEAT LOOP FOR THE NEXT CLASS. Then take a seat and work with your group to answer the Analysis & Conclusion questions. EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON MUST ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS AND INCLUDE THEIR OWN GRAPHS.

4. Analysis Questions: a. In the Changing Mass investigation, the Independent Variable is ____________________, the Dependent Variable is ____________________, and the constant is ____________________. b. Use LOGGER PRO to create a graph of Mass vs. Distance Moved from question Make sure to include all parts of a proper graph. Attach graph. c. From the graph you created, what can you say about the relationship between total mass of the balloon and the distance it moved?

d. In the Changing Force investigation, the Independent Variable is ____________________, the Dependent Variable is ____________________, and the constant is ____________________. e. Use LOGGER PRO to plot a graph of Circumference vs. Distance Moved. Make sure to include all parts of a proper graph. Attach graph. f. From the graph you created, what can you say about the relationship between circumference of the blown up balloon and the distance it moved?

g. The circumference of the blown up balloon can be related to the ______________ acting on the balloon, while the distance the balloon moved can be related to the __________________ that the balloon encountered. h. Based on your answers to (c) and (g), what is the relationship between mass and acceleration?

i. Based on your answers to (f) and (g), what is the relationship between force and acceleration? 5. Conclusion Questions:

Newtons Second Law states that the acceleration of an object depends on two factors: the net force acting on the object and the objects mass. As the net force acting on the object increases, the acceleration increases. As the objects mass increases, the acceleration decreases.
a. Did you find both of these relationships in your investigations?

b. Describe at least 2 sources of error in your experiment that may have altered your results. (EVEN if you did find the correct relationship)

c. Why is it important that Newton included the word net force in the definition his Second Law? (Would this law always be accurate if we only talked about one of the forces acting on the object?)

d. Newtons 2nd Law is really just a mathematical (or quantitative) way of looking at Newtons 1st Law. What does the 2nd Law suggest about the forces acting on an object that is encountering NO acceleration?

e. You and three friends are driving to school. The driver realizes that you are late and pushes on the gas to speed up. If the driver was the only one in the car, how hard would the driver have to push on the gas to get the car to speed up at the same rate? (Not as hard, Harder, or Equal?)

f. Why is there a difference in how hard the driver would have to push on the gas to speed up alone versus with three other people in the car?