Ask a New Question
Menu

Adisorn conducts an experiment investigating Newton’s first law of motion by sliding several objects on a concrete floor, and then a wooden plank using the same force in all trials. The distance in centimeters traveled in one second over five trials is recorded in the following table.

Newton’s First Law of Motion
Surface: Concrete Floor
Object Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
Toy 26 33 28 30 27
Block 19 21 21 19 20
Ball 37 33 40 36 42
Pen 25 27 19 22 26
Surface: Wooden Plank
Object Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
Toy 22 24 20 26 26
Block 17 18 13 19 15
Ball 31 24 35 27 29
Pen 21 15 18 21 21
Using this data, which of the following statements is true?

(1 point)
Responses

The wooden plank had less friction than the concrete floor.
The wooden plank had less friction than the concrete floor.

The ball being pushed on the concrete floor had the least friction force against it.
The ball being pushed on the concrete floor had the least friction force against it.

The block being pushed on the wooden plank had the least friction force against it.
The block being pushed on the wooden plank had the least friction force against it.

The pen being pushed on the concrete floor had the least friction force against it.

1 answer

To determine which statement is true based on the data provided, we need to analyze the distances traveled by each object across the two surfaces.

In general, the greater the distance traveled by an object in a given time, the less friction force is acting against it.

Analyzing the Data

Concrete Floor:

  • Toy: Average = (26 + 33 + 28 + 30 + 27) / 5 = 28.8 cm
  • Block: Average = (19 + 21 + 21 + 19 + 20) / 5 = 20 cm
  • Ball: Average = (37 + 33 + 40 + 36 + 42) / 5 = 37.6 cm
  • Pen: Average = (25 + 27 + 19 + 22 + 26) / 5 = 23.8 cm

Wooden Plank:

  • Toy: Average = (22 + 24 + 20 + 26 + 26) / 5 = 23.6 cm
  • Block: Average = (17 + 18 + 13 + 19 + 15) / 5 = 16.4 cm
  • Ball: Average = (31 + 24 + 35 + 27 + 29) / 5 = 29.2 cm
  • Pen: Average = (21 + 15 + 18 + 21 + 21) / 5 = 19.2 cm

Comparison:

  • On the Concrete Floor, the Ball travels the furthest distance (37.6 cm), indicating it experiences the least friction force on that surface.

  • On the Wooden Plank, the Ball still travels the furthest (29.2 cm), although it's less than on the concrete surface.

Examining the Statements:

  1. The wooden plank had less friction than the concrete floor.

    • This is false because the distances on the wooden plank are generally less than on the concrete floor.

  2. The ball being pushed on the concrete floor had the least friction force against it.

    • This is true as it traveled the furthest (37.6 cm) on the concrete floor.

  3. The block being pushed on the wooden plank had the least friction force against it.

    • This is false; the block has the least distance (16.4 cm) on the wooden plank.

  4. The pen being pushed on the concrete floor had the least friction force against it.

    • This is false; the pen's average distance is less than that of the ball.

Conclusion:

The true statement is: The ball being pushed on the concrete floor had the least friction force against it.