The Atwood Machine Lab

Haque

I.

Major Lab

Imdad

Pre-Experiment Analysis
1. How do you find total mass from mass 1 and mass 2?
To find the total mass, add mass 1 to mass 2.
2. How do you find weight 1 from mass 1?
To find the weight of mass 1, multiply mass 1 by g (9.8 m/s^2)
3. How do you find weight 2 from mass 2?
To find the weight of mass 2, multiply it by g (9.8 m/s^2)
4. How do you find the net force from weight 1 and weight 2?
Take the greater of the 2 weights and subtract the lesser and determine the
direction of the force.

II.

5. How do you find the acceleration from the time and the distance?
Change (x) = a ((change (t)) ^2)
Experiment 1
1. Table 1
Mass
1 (kg)

Mass
2 (kg)

Total
Mass
(kg)

Weight
1 (N)

Weight
2 (N)

0.095
0.09
0.085
0.0805
0.076
0.063

0.05
0.055
0.06
0.0645
0.069
0.082

0.145
0.145
0.145
0.145
0.145
0.145

0.931
0.882
0.833
0.7889
0.7448
0.6174

0.49
0.539
0.588
0.6321
0.6762
0.8036

F
(N)

Time to Distance
bottom to
(s)
Bottom
(m)
0.441 0.65
0.368
0.342 0.69
0.368
0.245 0.76
0.368
0.1568 1.02
0.368
0.0686 1.68
0.368
0.1867 .71
0.368

2. Table 2
Acceleration (m/s^2)
3.04
2.36
1.69
1.08
0.49
1.28

F (N)
0.441
0.342
0.245
0.1568
0.0686
0.1867

Total Mass (kg)

0.145
0.145
0.145
0.145
0.145
0.145

Acceleration
(m/s^2)
3.04
2.36
1.69
1.08
0.49
1.28

3. Graph of F vs Acceleration

III.

4. Acceleration and Net Force are directly proportional. The data proves this because
when the acceleration decreases, the net force also decreases. Also the graph
shows a relatively straight line, and many directly proportional graphs have
straight lines.
5. The constant of proportionality is the slope of the line.
Experiment 2
1. Table 1
Mass 1 Mass 2 Total
(kg)
(kg)
Mass
(kg)
0.063
0.05
0.113
0.068
0.055
0.123
0.0725 0.0595 0.132
0.0775 0.0645 0.142
0.1
0.087
0.187
0.118
0.105
0.233

Weight
1 (N)

Weight
2 (N)

F (N)

0.6174
0.664
0.7105
0.7595
0.85
1.16

0.49
0.539
0.583
0.6321
0.95
1.03

0.1274
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274

2. Table 2
Acceleration
(m/s^2)
1.13
1.03
0.96
0.89
0.68
0.54

F (N)
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274
0.1274

Total Mass
(kg)
0.113
0.123
0.132
0.142
0.187
0.233

Time to
bottom
(s)
1.17
1.4
1.47
1.5
1.54
1.61

Distance
to Bottom
(m)
0.368
0.368
0.368
0.368
0.368
0.368

Acceleration
(m/s^2)
1.13
1.03
0.96
0.89
0.68
0.54

3. Graph of Total Mass vs Acceleration

4.

IV.

Acceleration and total mass are inversely related. This is shown through our
results because as the acceleration in each trial decreased, the total mass
increased. Also the graph follows a traditional inverse graph.
5. The net force is the constant of proportionality.
Post-Experiment Analysis
1. Some sources of error in the experiment are the amounts of friction present for
each trial, the rounding of calculations, and not having very precise timing and
exact weight or mass.
2. Atwood machines are used to help prove Newtons second law, F-=ma.
3. A= F/m