Investigating levers
How do levers work? In today's lab, you will be investigating how different lengths of a lever affect the easiness to pull up an object. But first, you need to be familiar with the anatomy of a lever before we begin.
Referring to the diagram below, the distance between the fulcrum (pivot) and your hand is called the "EFFORT ARM". The distance from the fulcrum and the object is the "RESISTANCE ARM".
The weight of the object is the output force.
The amount of force required for you to lift the object is the input force. This is the force that "I" put in.
Referring to the diagram below, the distance between the fulcrum (pivot) and your hand is called the "EFFORT ARM". The distance from the fulcrum and the object is the "RESISTANCE ARM".
The weight of the object is the output force.
The amount of force required for you to lift the object is the input force. This is the force that "I" put in.
Question:
Today's question is "How does the length of the effort arm affect the ability to lift up the object?
In today's lab, you will not be altering anything on the resistance side at all. The resistance arm, the object and the output force will always stay the same in this experiment. The one thing that you will be changing is the length of the "EFFORT ARM" to see how it affects the "INPUT FORCE". Use this phrase to identify your independent and dependent variables, and proceed from here.
In today's lab, you will not be altering anything on the resistance side at all. The resistance arm, the object and the output force will always stay the same in this experiment. The one thing that you will be changing is the length of the "EFFORT ARM" to see how it affects the "INPUT FORCE". Use this phrase to identify your independent and dependent variables, and proceed from here.
Hypothesis:
Rephrase the above question in the proper phraseology: "The (independent variable) will (affect) the (dependent variable) because (hypothesis - what you believe to be the possible explanation to the set of observations & the answer to the scientific question)
Experimental design
What is your groups overall idea of how you guys are going to carry out your experiment?
Again... In today's lab, you will not be altering anything on the resistance side at all. The resistance arm, the object and the output force will always stay the same in this experiment. The one thing that you will be changing is the length of the "EFFORT ARM" to see how it affects the "INPUT FORCE". Use this phrase to identify your independent and dependent variables, and proceed from here.
Again... In today's lab, you will not be altering anything on the resistance side at all. The resistance arm, the object and the output force will always stay the same in this experiment. The one thing that you will be changing is the length of the "EFFORT ARM" to see how it affects the "INPUT FORCE". Use this phrase to identify your independent and dependent variables, and proceed from here.
Procedures
What are the steps you and your group going to take to carry out your experiment?
Materials
- 4 1ft long PVC pipes
- Fulcrum Apparatus
- a Force Meter
- 1 Kg mass
Qualitative observations
Make 2 observations based on the experiment that might help answer your overall question.
Quantitative observations Data
* NOTE TO SELF: get a 6 inch segment so that we can add 4 additional spots of data.
Data Analysis
Make four observations based on the data provided
Conclusion & reflection
Write in your conclusion based on the evidence you've collected. Remember QPOECC
Summarize your:
Q: Question & Hypothesis restatement
P: Procedures
O: Observations, Trends, Results, Data Analysis relative to the question/hypothesis
E: Experimental Errors
C1: Conclusion 1; Does the data support or reject your original hypothesis?
C2: Conclusion 2; Explain the "why" behind the phenomenon that you witnessed (the hypotheses rules) and provide the reasoning to support why your hypothesis is correct or incorrect. use your findings to give you deeper insights in your research.
Summarize your:
Q: Question & Hypothesis restatement
P: Procedures
O: Observations, Trends, Results, Data Analysis relative to the question/hypothesis
E: Experimental Errors
C1: Conclusion 1; Does the data support or reject your original hypothesis?
C2: Conclusion 2; Explain the "why" behind the phenomenon that you witnessed (the hypotheses rules) and provide the reasoning to support why your hypothesis is correct or incorrect. use your findings to give you deeper insights in your research.