Physics - Electricity in the Home Essay

Will the current (Amps) affect the time it takes for a slot car to complete a lap of the track? Planning the investigation: 1 . What do you know about the topic from personal experience? From playing with slot cars and building tracks even before I embarked on the physics course, I’d always realized the relationship between the trigger and the speed of the cars. In the investigation, I hope to use a more scientific method of determining why and how this relationship works. . What variables may affect the phenomenon you are investigating? The resistance of the insulated wire used may affect the results slightly. Also the magnets on the bottom of the slot cars create extra and unaccounted for resistance which may affect my investigation and, of course, human error. 3. What is your independent variable? My independent variable is going to be the current (amps) used, using a variable resistor (the trigger). 4. How will the independent variable be changed (quantitatively)?

The independent variable, being the current (amps) will be changed using a variable resistor (the trigger). But to make the investigation quantitative, the rent will be measured from the contact points on the track with a millimeter. 5. What is the dependent variable? The dependent variable is the time it takes for a slot car to complete a lap of the track. 6. How will the dependent variable be measured? The time taken will be measured with a stopwatch. Hypothesis and Prediction: 1 . Hypothesis I believe that increasing the current (amps) will reduce the time taken for a slot car to complete a lap. . Explain prediction using prior knowledge I believe this to be the case as I know that pulling the trigger in further increases the peed of the slot cars, and I know that the trigger is a variable resistor, so I can come to the conclusion that pulling the trigger further increases current. Method: 1 . What apparatus do you require for the experiment? Slot car set with enough track for an 1 1. 8 meter circuit, millimeter, slot cars, stopwatch, notepad for results, a fine tip marker for marking increments on the trigger and a tape measure for measuring the track. 2.

I made sure my data was accurate by testing my hypothesis 8 times for each change of the independent variable to get an accurate average for each. Presenting the data: Analyzing the data: 1 . Are there any patterns or trends in the data? What is the relationship between the variables investigated? Is your hypothesis supported by the data? There are no clear patterns or trends in the data but there is a clear relationship. The data supports my original hypothesis of increasing current (amps) to decrease the time (s) it takes for a slot car to complete at lap.

Discussion of results: 1 . What were the main sources of experimental error? I think the main source would have had to have been the variable resistor increments. 2. How confident are you with your conclusions? I am quite confident with my conclusions, as I performed a well-executed investigation which lead to some interesting but at the same time, proven results. All parts of the investigation were thought over and well planned and I believe it to be quite an accurate investigation. 3. How could the design of the experiment have been improved to reduce error?

If I had the equipment, I definitely think that a sensor to stop a timer when the cars went past the finish line would have made the investigation more precise. 4. What have you learned? Was the outcome different to from your prediction? I have learned a lot about using units of current, volts and resistance and definitely a lot about how appliances use electricity. No, the outcome was quite like my hypothesis in the way that I knew there was a relationship between the variable resistor and the time taken around the track; I Just had to figure out what hat relationship was. 5.

What have you learned about the methods of investigating science? Vive learned a lot about investigating scientifically, mostly, that the more times you repeat a variable, the more accurate your investigation will be. Conclusion: 1. What is your conclusion? From the data I have compiled whilst performing a first-hand investigation, Increasing the current (amps) decreases the time (s) that it takes for a slot car to complete a full lap of the track. This has been a worth-while experimental process and I definitely learned a lot. Bibliography: http://once. De. Gob/neckties/choreograph/ Mr.. Cliffhanger

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