Newton's Second Law
Newton's Second Law is a free interactive simulation for GCSE Physics (Edexcel IGCSE 4PH1). Students vary the force applied to a trolley and its mass, then measure the resulting acceleration to investigate how force and mass affect acceleration. This is a required practical for Edexcel IGCSE 4PH1. No login required — includes a worksheet and self-marking quiz.
Aim: To investigate how the force applied to an object affects its acceleration.
0m
0.2m
0.4m
0.6m
0.8m
1.0m
Time: 0.00 s
Velocity: 0.00 m/s
Results
| # | Mass (kg) | Force (N) | Time (s) | Final Velocity (m/s) | Your Calculated Acceleration (m/s²) | Actions |
|---|
How to Calculate Acceleration:
You can calculate acceleration using:
- acceleration = change in velocity / time
Newton's Second Law
F
=
m
×
a
- Set a mass for the trolley and keep it fixed while you vary the force across steps 2–6. You'll change the mass in step 8.
- Apply a force of 0.1 N to the trolley and click "Start Experiment" to begin the simulation.
- The time taken for the trolley to travel 1 m and the final velocity of the trolley will be automatically recorded in the results table below.
- Enter your calculated value of acceleration in the table.
- Repeat three times and take an average.
- Increase the force by 0.1 N and repeat until at least 5 different forces have been used.
- Plot a graph of Force (N) against Average Acceleration (m/s²).
- Now change the mass and repeat. What happens to your Force vs Acceleration graph? What does this tell you about the relationship between mass and acceleration?