P-ISSN: 1693-1246 Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Indonesia xx (x) (20xx) x-x

E-ISSN: 2355-3812
DOI: xx.xxxxx/jpfi.xxxxx.xxxx
mm 2019
http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/jpfi

DETERMINING THE ACCELERATION OF GRAVITY USING ATWOOD

MACHINE

PENENTUAN PERCEPATAN GRAVITASI BUMI DENGAN PERCOBAAN

MESIN ATWOOD

N. S. Anisah1*, A. Lu’lu 2, K. Bagas 3, A. P. Clarissa 4

1
Department of Physics
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Universitas Negeri Semarang
anisahsolikha@students.unnes.ac.id

2
Department of Physics
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Universitas Negeri Semarang
luluazizah001@students.unnes.ac.id

3
Department of Physic
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Universitas Negeri Semarang
kurniadibagas01@students.unnes.ac.id

4
Department of Physic
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Universitas Negeri Semarang
clarissaamalia@students.unnes.ac.id

Received: dd mm yyyy. Accepted: dd mm yyyy. Published: mm yyyy

Abstract

This experiment aims to understand the working principle of the Atwood engine, conduct the Atwood experiment to show the validity
of Newton's laws and determine the acceleration of gravity. The masses of the two weights will be M and m. The weights will be
attached to hooks to stay connected to the string around the pulley. The weights will begin at rest but will be released, causing the
pulley on the Atwood Machine to pull themasses, past the photogates, which will then calculate the time and acceleration. There will
be six trials, where the time it takes the weight to reach the photogates will be recorded. The data will then be applied into kinematic
equations to calculate the experimental acceleration. The accelerations will then be averaged together to acquire a mean
acceleration, so as to have the most accurate data possible. We are likely to have some sources of error such as frictional forces in
the pulley system.

Abstrak
Eksperimen ini bertujuan untuk memahami prinsip kerja mesin Atwood, melakukan eksperimen Atwood untuk menunjukkan validitas
hukum Newton dan menentukan percepatan gravitasi. Massa dari dua bobot tersebut adalah M dan m. Bobot akan dipasang ke
pengait agar tetap terhubung ke tali di sekitar katrol. Bobot akan dimulai saat istirahat tetapi akan dilepaskan, menyebabkan katrol
pada Mesin Atwood menariknya, melewati photogate, yang kemudian akan menghitung waktu dan akselerasi. Akan ada enam uji
coba, di mana waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk mencapai photogate akan dicatat. Data kemudian akan diterapkan ke dalam
 Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Indonesia 11 (1) (2019) 1-7

persamaan kinematik untuk menghitung percepatan eksperimental. Akselerasi kemudian akan dirata-rata bersama untuk
memperoleh akselerasi rata-rata, sehingga memiliki data yang paling akurat. Kami mungkin memiliki beberapa sumber kesalahan
seperti gaya gesek dalam sistem katrol.© 2019 Jurusan Fisika FMIPA UNNES Semarang

Key words: atwood machine, acceleration of gravity, newton

INTRODUCTION The pulley is rotated, if there is a frictional force so

the equation will be :
Newton’s first law of motion, sometimes
called the law of inertia, defines a special set of
reference frames called inertial frames. This law
can be stated as follows:
If an object does not interact with other
objects, it is possible to identify a reference frame
in which the object has zero acceleration.
Such a reference frame is called an inertial And we can get
frame of reference. When the puck is on the air
hockey table located on the ground, you are
observing it from an inertial reference frame; there
are no horizontal interactions of the puck with any
other objects.(Serway, Jewwet:2008)
The moves of masses from B to C is categorized
as uniform lienar motion, and there is no
acceleration in this system B to C.

We conclude that the acceleration of We can determine the acceleration by formula

an object is inversely proportional to its mass.
These observations are summarized in Newton’s
second law: The acceleration a: of an object is
directly proportional to the net force acting on it
and inversely proportional to its mass. (Serway,
Vuille, 2012:273). In the Si unit, with the mass in kilograms,
the unit of force is called Newton (N), one newton
the is the force required to import acceleration pf 1
m/s2 to a mass of 1 kg. (Giancoli,2005 :36)

The motion from A to B (there is M and m)

its about accelerated uniform linear motion with its
formula METHOD

The method of the experiments is :

M1 moves with acceleration upward.
M2 from point A to B, move accelerated downward
1. Wighing masses of M1 and M2, also m
2.Determining the position of point A, B, and
C, measuring SAB and SBC
3.Attaching the straps and weights, checking
and try too get as little friction as possible
4. Attaching M1 to the clamps with springs S1
and (M2+m) in position A, then removing
M1 from clamp,and writing the time

2
 Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Indonesia 11 (1) (2019) 1-7

required by (M2+m) from A to B or t AB and remains constant acceleration increases with the
by M2 from B to C increase in net force acting on the system.
5.Repeating above experiment for additional
The experiment still has an error from some
leads.
factors. A majority of the sources of error were due
to the frictional forces in the pulley system, also
Tools and equipments of this experiment
the masses of the weights might not have been
are :
exact, considering that the weight of the hooks
1. Atwood machine
attached to the masses wasn't identified and
2. Technical ballance sheet
accounted for. Air resistance was a major player
3. Two stopwatches
when the difference in masses was large,
therefore acceleration was high. The weights could
have been verified to eliminate that error, and
RESULT AND DISCUSSION more advanced physics could have been used to
take into account the friction of the pulley and the
The experiment show how Atwood air resistance. In light of these sources of error,
machine’s work. The Atwood machine is using law which could have manipulated the results to be
of motion or Newton’s law. From the experiment inconclusive, since the theoretical values were
we get the data that include in the table 1 reasonable compared to the observed values, the
connection between mass and acceleration, stated
Table 1. data of the experiment in Newton's laws, was solidified.
No Mass SAB SBC
(gram) (cm) (cm) (s) (s)
1 15.30 50 50 0.99 0.69
CONCLUSION
2 12.60 50 50 1.24 0.52
3 10.07 50 50 1.35 0.82 Principle working of Atwood machine is
4 7.33 50 50 1.63 0.97 using accelerated linear motion and unifrom linear
5 5.14 50 50 2.26 1.00 motion based on Newton’s Law. The experiment
6 2.19 50 50 3.90 1.82
show the effect of Newton’s Law in motion of the
mass which is acceleration is depend on foces and
From the data we can calculate the
masses. From it we can determine the price of
acceleration of gravity, by determining x axis and y
acceleration of gravity.
axis after it count the value of its tangential
diagram. For the moving of mass in A,B, and C
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
must be calculate separately because of their base
motion. Motion from A to B is an accelerated linear
motion and the moves of mass from B o C is acknowledgments are directed to Mrs.
uniform linear motion without any acceleration. Ellianawati as my lecturer, Mrs. Natalia as
From the moves of the object from A to b laborant, Dwi Ragil and Winda Naili as assistant of
we get the price of acceleration of gravity is 15.7 laborant and also all of my team.
m/s2 . And from the moves of B to C we get the
acceleration of gravity is 9.13 m/s2. REFERENCES
Acceleration is directly proportional to the
net force acting on the system. This was also Serway, raymond and Jewwet, John W. (2009) Physics
shown by the inversely proportional relationship for scientist and Enginers with Modern Physics.
Belmouth, USA. Thomson Higher Education.
between the acceleration of the masses and the
sum total of those masses. When the total mass Lecturer Team Basic of Physics 1, (2019) Buku
Panduan Praktikum Fisika Dasar 1. Semarang,
laboratorium Fisika Dasar Universitas Negeri Semarang.
3
 Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Indonesia 11 (1) (2019) 1-7

Serway, Vuille. ( 2012) College Physics. Boston, USA.

Brooks/Cole

Giancoli. (2005). Physics. USA. Pearson Education, Inc.