Investigation: Using the Inclined Plane to do Work

To study the characteristics of the inclined plane:

I believe that as the angle of the inclined plane decreases towards zero, the work required to lift the object up the board will become easier.

Ring stand, support rod, and clamp

1. Lay the inclined plane flat on the table. Attach the Newton spring scale to the mass. Pull the mass slowly along the horizontal plane at a constant speed. The force required doing this balances the force of kinetic friction. Record this in your observations.

2. Set up the inclined plane at an angle of about 30 degrees.
3. Mark off a distance along the plane to a point x. Record this distance (in metres) in your observations.
4. Measure the vertical distance from the tabletop to the point x. Record this distance (in metres) in your observations.
5. Use the spring scale to pull the mass at a constant speed up the inclined plane to the point x. Record the average force (in Newtons) in your observations.
6. Use the spring scale to lift the mass vertically to the point x. Record the force (in Newtons) in your observations.
7. Calculate the work done to move the mass to the point x using the inclined plane. Record this figure in your observations.
8. Calculate the work done to move the mass to the point x using the inclined plane if the force of friction is ignored. (Assume the force of friction on the incline is about 0.75 times the force of friction on the level.) Record the work done in your observations.
9. Calculate the work done to lift the mass vertically to the point x. Record this figure in your observations.
10. Repeat steps 2 through 9 two more times. Use a different angle of the inclined plane each time.