Newton's First Law of Motion

Demonstration: Car on Inclined Track

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Equipment
  • Air track
  • Air track car
  • Wooden wedge
  • Meter stick
Description

A series of experiments is done with varying air track inclinations and with the car being released from one end of the track with the same initial speed each time. The horizontal distance reached is observed to change with inclination, but the car always stops at the same vertical height. At zero inclination, the car would have to travel an infinite distance to reach this same height. Therefore, it will maintain its motion with a constant speed.