Inclined Planes and Friction

Thornridge High School

Mr. Sievers physics classes at Thornridge High School used laptops and Vernier motion detectors to measure the acceleration of a mass (the bucket) sliding down an inclined plane. The students then used theoretical equations for an inclined plane to derive an equation for the coefficient of friction (mu) between the bucket and the incline. The students also varied the mass of the bucket by adding masses to the bucket and repeating the experiment to see if mass would have an affect on the value for coefficient of friction.