PHYSICS

Measuring the Accelaration of an Object (Marble) on an Incline

Measuring the Accelaration of an Object (Marble) on an Incline

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of measuring accelaration rate in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on measuring accelaration of an object and its relation with inclination. The research also analyzes many aspects of inclinationand tries to gauge its effect on the accelaration rate of marble. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for the accelaration rate and tries to describe the overall effect of inclination on accelaration of an object (marble).

Introduction

The concept of acceleration can be demonstrated by rolling a marble down the inclined plane and marking its successive positions on drafting tape pasted to the track, timing the positions with metronone beats. The simplest way to do this is to have several positions marked before the class begins and add a few more during the class demonstration, while showing the students that the marble passes all the marks at the right times. Then by measuring the distances you can show that the total distance the ball rolls increases with the square of the time.

In our daily life we know that we go much faster down the slope when skiing downhill in the winter or bicycling down an incline. We accelerate. In physics, slides and wedges are called inclined planes. According to Newton's Law of Motion, an unbalanced object kept on a frictionless inclined plane will accelerate (change the speed) down it. The "frictionless" plane means the plane exerts no forces to the object moving down it. You can calculate the acceleration of the object sliding down the inclined plane. An object placed on a tilted surface will often slide down the surface. (Fowles, 1999: 25) The rate at which the object slides down the surface is dependent upon how tilted the surface is; the greater the tilt of the surface, the faster the rate at which the object will slide down it. In physics, a tilted surface is called an inclined plane. Objects are known to accelerate down inclined planes because of an unbalanced force. To understand this type of motion, it is important to analyze the forces acting upon an object on an inclined plane. (Feynman, 2005: 23) In the presence of friction or other forces (applied force, tensional forces, etc.), the situation is slightly more complicated. (Likins, 1973: 369)

Materials and Method

Quantitative research is used for this study. Qualitative methods rely primarily on the use of text to generate findings, whereas quantitative methods use numbers to conduct descriptive or inferential statistics. Just as qualitative and quantitative approaches have requirements for application, so does mixed methods. In mixed methods inquiry, methodological congruence must be maintained. As a result, all of the assumptions of applicable methods must be adhered to and the components of each method must be consistent. Thus, strategies cannot be applied, combined, and selected liberally. Researchers must identify the overt dominance of each in ...