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1.2 Lab: �How Hard Was That Push?�An Introduction to Impulse

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Your�Task

Create and carry out a procedure to experimentally determine the average force exerted by the plunger of a force cart.

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Materials

  • track with bumper
  • force cart with plunger
  • cart masses
  • motion sensor
  • photogate
  • LabQuest

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To Consider

  • What is needed to calculate force?
  • What can you measure?
  • How will you measure those values?
  • How can you increase the precision of your measurements?
  • How can you decrease the errors in your measurements and the experiment overall?

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To Include in Your Report

  • Objective
  • Summary of procedure including what is being measured and how it is measured (e.g., equipment, methodology, etc.)
  • Equipment Used
  • Data Table
  • Calculations
  • Analysis of answer reliability (e.g., What did you do to minimize error? How precise were your measuring devices? etc.)

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Neatness Counts!

You have

45 minutes