Plunger Cart
Experiments
6
012-14781A
Procedure
1. Once you have roughly determined the range of the Plunger Cart, clearly mark a distance d that is
about half way out from the start. Measure this distance and record it at the top of Table 1.1.
2. Using a stopwatch with a lap timer and metric tape, it is possible to determine t
1
, T and D for each
launch. Practice this step a few times before you start recording data.
NOTE: To eliminate reaction time errors, it is very important to have the person who launches the
Plunger Cart also be the timer!
3. Launch the cart and record the data described in the previous step for six trials. To cock the spring
plunger, push the plunger in, and then push the plunger slightly upward to allow one of the notches
on the plunger bar to “catch” on the edge of the small metal bar at the top of the hole. (Don’t count
the trials in which the timer feels that a distraction interfered with the measurement.) Record your
best trials in Table 1.1.
4. Using the equations described in the theory section and the data recorded in the table, do the
calculations needed to complete the table.
Data Analysis
d= _________ cm
Table 1.1
Questions
1. Is there a systematic difference between the experimental and calculated values of t
1
? If so, suggest
possible factors that would account for this difference.
2. Can you think of a simple follow up experiment that would allow you to determine how much the
cart’s “deceleration” was affected by floor slope?
Trial
Experiment
Theory
% Diff.
t
1
(s)
T (s)
D (cm)
v
0
(cm/s)
a (cm/s
2
)
t
1
(s)
1
2
3
4
5
6