Question

LOOK AT PICTURE

Ticker tape is a way to analyze the motion of objects in some labs. A long strip of
paper is run underneath a needle that leaves a mark when the needle strikes it. The needle moves up and down in regular time intervals, about once every 0.1 seconds. As an object moves, it drags the tape through the "ticker," leaving a trail of dots on the paper. The motion of the object can be analyzed by the pattern of the dots on the paper.
To the right are several samples of ticker tape that were collected
from a toy car that moved differently for each strip of tape. From
the tape samples, determine the following:
a. Which sample(s) represent the car with zero net force acting
on it?
b. Which sample had the greatest net force acting on it?
c. Which sample represents the least, positive acceleration?
d. Which sample(s) represent the car decelerating?

Answer 1

Ticker tape patterns are analyzed to determine the motion of an object, involving concepts such as net force, acceleration, and deceleration according to Newton's laws of motion. Dot spacing on the tape indicates the object's velocity changes over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves analyzing the motion of an object using ticker tape, which leaves a pattern of dots corresponding to the position of an object at regular time intervals. This type of motion analysis involves concepts such as net force, acceleration, and deceleration in the context of Newton's laws of motion.

To determine which sample(s) represent the car with zero net force acting on it, we must look for the tape showing a consistent spacing between the dots, which indicates a constant velocity and thus a net force of zero, in accordance with Newton's first law. The sample with the greatest net force can be identified as the one with increasing dot spacing over time, indicating increasing velocity or positive acceleration, implying a net force in the direction of motion. The sample representing the least positive acceleration would have dot spacings that increase at the slowest rate, while deceleration is represented by dot spacings that decrease over time, indicating a slowing down of the object.

Understanding these concepts is crucial for solving problems involving Newton's laws, particularly when deciding whether to apply Newton's first law, where the net force is zero, or Newton's second law, where acceleration is present and net force is not zero.