Hover Disc and Fan Cart Lab

The purpose of this lab was to understand Newtons three laws of motion. By using hover discs and carts powered by fans, we were able to derive equations relating force, mass and acceleration (change in velocity/change in time). The leading questions for the lab were: 

1. What gives rise to a change in motion? (Hover Disc Lab)
2. What is the relationship between mass, force and acceleration? (Fan Cart Lab)

Important Info + Lab Summary:

Hover Disc Lab: Using soccer ball hover discs, we performed the lab by experimenting with different types of force acting on the disc and its surroundings. The most popular forces during the lab were: normal force (Fn) and gravitational force (Fg). Normal force acts up an object when the electrons on the surface of the atoms repel, and gravitational force is present when two objects that have mass are going in the direction the most massive object. 

Key Data:
To represent forces acting upon an object in a diagram, there are two different forms:

- Interactive Diagrams:

1. Draw all objects present (don't forget the earth!)
2. Draw lines to connect objects that are interacting
3. Label each line with the type of force

- Free Body Diagram:

1. Draw a circle representing a single object
2. Draw arrows from the circle to represent direction, type of force and magnitude
3. Make sure that the length of the arrows reflect the amount of force acting on the object

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite re-action."

Important Info + Lab Summary:

Fan Cart Lab: We began the lab by attaching a fan to a cart (.3 kg) and applying a constant force. During the lab, we added different amounts of brass masses to the fan cart and placed it back on the metal track where the sonic range finders and force probe were. Using the Loggerpro on the computers, we were able to calculate the acceleration of the cart. 

Key Data: 

- There is an indirect relationship between mass & acceleration

-  NEW EQ: force = (mass)(acceleration)

- An object will accelerate in the direction of the net force

- Objects at a constant motion will remain constant unless an outside force acts upon it

Real World Connection: When a bug collides on the windshield of a car, both will experience the same amount of force. Even though the less massive bug dies, it is just because the truck is so much more massive that it experiences a smaller acceleration.