Question

newtons 2nd law investigation - pre - lab sheet
essential question: how does newtons 2nd law (f = ma) describe the motion of a toy car when we change the force or the mass?
objective: plan a lab that studies the effects of force and mass on acceleration using newtons second law.
materials available: toy cars, meter stick, stopwatch, spring launchers (1n, 2n), masses, balances, track.
part 1 - background
newtons 2nd law states: force = mass × acceleration this means acceleration depends on both the net force applied and the mass of the object.
part 2 - planning questions: describe reasoning with full sentences

1. independent variable (what will you change?):
2. dependent variable (what will you measure?):

Explanation:

1. The independent variable is what is deliberately changed in an experiment. In this lab about Newton's 2nd Law, we can change the force applied (using different - strength spring launchers) or the mass of the toy - car (by adding or removing masses).
2. The dependent variable is what is measured as a result of the changes in the independent variable. According to Newton's 2nd Law ($F = ma$), when we change force or mass, the acceleration of the toy - car changes. So, we will measure the acceleration of the toy - car.

Answer:

1. The independent variable is the force applied to the toy car (using different spring launchers) and the mass of the toy car (by adding or removing masses).
2. The dependent variable is the acceleration of the toy car.