Newton's Laws Experiment: Analyzing Cart Acceleration and Net Force

This experiment investigates the relationship between the acceleration of a cart and the net force exerted on it. Students explore Newton's second law (F=ma) by analyzing the motion of a cart connected to a hanging mass. The cart is initially at rest on a horizontal surface and rolls without slipping when released. The inertia of the cart's wheels is negligible. Students can use common laboratory equipment to measure components of the system. By collecting the appropriate data, they can determine the relationship between the acceleration of the cart and the net force exerted on it.

As per Newton's second law, F=ma, the acceleration of the cart is directly proportional to the net force exerted on it. Therefore, the correct relationship between acceleration and net force should be a straight line with a positive slope. The graph that represents this relationship is:

Option C: Acceleration (a) on the y-axis and net force (F) on the x-axis, with a straight line passing through the origin and having a positive slope.