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Control Variables in Trolley Acceleration
A student investigated how the acceleration of a trolley varies with the resultant force on the trolley. Figure 10 shows some of the equipment used.
Give one variable that should have been a control variable in this investigation.
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Marking points
- 1 Gives an accepted mass/weight control variable for the trolley–hanger system.
Full-mark answer
The combined mass of the trolley and the mass hanger.
Why this answer loses marks
Keep the pulling force the same.
The resultant force is the quantity deliberately varied, so it is not a control; a relevant property of the trolley–hanger system must stay constant.