Purpose:
To observe the acceleration caused by an application of unbalanced force.
Materials:
- a friend
- a bicycle
Procedure:
1. Find a large open space, but be careful of traffic and other people.
2. Get your friend to sit on the bike or skateboard.
3. Push your friend along carefully. Try to do this with a constant force. Your friend must not pedal or use the brakes. If you have got a spring that is strong enough you can attach one end of the spring to the bike while you pull them along with the other end. Make sure that the extension on the spring stays constant so you know you are pulling with a constant force.
4. Keep pushing (or pulling) and see what happens to your speed. You should find that if you started off walking you have to walk quicker and quicker, and eventually run, to keep your force constant. This is a demonstration of constant force resulting in acceleration.
