Modified Atwood's Machine

Goal

The goal for this lab is to find g (acceleration from gravity) using a modified version of Atwood's Machine.

While he was experimenting with gravity, George Atwood used a simple pulley with two different weights to accurately calculate g, the acceleration from gravity.

Today we will use a modified version of this machine to find g, the acceleration due to gravity.

This means you don’t get to use g = (-9.8 m/s²) for acceleration due to gravity.

Setup

With the cart on the rails, attach a string to the smallest weight (M2) hanging over the edge of the table.

Measure

Time it takes to travel 1m

Mass of cart

Calculate

Find the acceleration of the cart as it travels (3 runs) using the two kinematic equations:

The force of gravity on the small weight is equal to the force of tension pulling the cart.

Fg = Ft

After solving the kinematics equation for acceleration, use F=m*a to find the force.

Now, find the acceleration of the small mass due to gravity.

Results

Did your results match the value of g you expected?

How would you change the experiment to improve your result?

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