A student investigates the average speed at which a trolley with different loads travels down a ramp. Look at the diagram of her experiment. She releases the trolley from a distance of 2.0 m from the bottom of the ramp. The student uses a stop-clock to measure the time it takes to reach the bottom of the ramp. She calculates the average speed. Look at her results. Describe the trend shown by the results, identify problems with the experiment and describe any improvements that you would make to the experiment. – 7510

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1. There was no clear trend in the results.
   As the load increased, the time and speed stayed about the same.
   For example, the mean speeds for 20N and 60N were roughly the same, and the times were also similar.
   Problems with the experiment:
   Only 4 loads were tested, which isn’t enough for a clear pattern.
   The ramp was too short, so the times were very quick.
   No repeated readings were taken.
   Reaction times could affect accuracy when timing short runs.
   The mass of the trolley wasn’t taken into account.
   Improvements:
   Test with more loads.
   Use a longer ramp so timings are easier to measure.
   Repeat readings and find an average.
   Use electronic timing to reduce human error.
   Try different ramp angles and include the mass of the trolley in calculations.

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