Tools and Equipment, Part I Activity – Inclined Plane Worksheet

Tools and Equipment, Part I Activity – Inclined Plane Worksheet

Results

1. Did you obtain different mechanical advantages for the different methods of measuring? If so, was the difference large?

Yes, the difference was not very large it was about one to three.

2. Which inclined plane had the greatest mechanical advantage?

The last inclined plane because it had a mechanical advantage of 4.45.

Conclusions

1. Does calculating mechanical advantage just with the dimensions of the inclined plane really work? That is, does the calculation describe what really happens? Write a short paragraph explaining your answer.

Calculating mechanical advantage just with the dimensions of the inclined plane does not really work because in the first two the lengths were the same but very different heights with the same mechanical advantage.

2. If you are the engineer designing a ramp for a construction site to move a wheelbarrow a height of 100 feet, which inclined plane would you use? Why?

I would use the last one because it has the closest height to 100 feet since 1 feet is equal to 3.48m and 44 is closest to and it has the lowest mechanical advantage.

3. What are some possible sources of error in this experiment?

Some of the errors might be human errors by recording and measuring the data and force meters are not very accurate.