A ticker timer makes 50 dots per second on a paper tape attached to a moving trolley. Fig. 1.1 shows a section of the tape produced when the trolley moves a...
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A ticker timer makes 50 dots per second on a paper tape attached to a moving trolley. Fig. 1.1 shows a section of the tape produced when the trolley moves across a smooth bench. The distances between consecutive dots are marked in centimetres. The trolley moves from left to right. A student pulls the trolley along the bench while the timer stamps dots on the tape at regular intervals. The tape is later examined to determine the motion of the trolley during this part of the experiment.
(a) State the time interval between consecutive dots. [1]
(b) Describe the motion of the trolley shown by this section of tape. [1]
(c) Calculate the speed of the trolley. [2]
(d) State one advantage of using a ticker timer rather than a stopwatch to study the motion of a trolley. [1]
Answer Details
(a) Time interval between consecutive dots [1]
The ticker timer makes 50 dots per second, so the time between consecutive dots is:
$$\text{time interval} = \frac{1}{50} = 0.020 \text{ s}$$ [1]
(b) Description of the trolley's motion [1]
The trolley is moving at a constant (steady) speed. [1] This is evident because all the gaps between consecutive dots are equal (each is 2.0 cm). Equal spacing means the trolley covers the same distance in each equal time interval, which is the definition of constant speed.
(c) Speed of the trolley [2]
Each gap is 2.0 cm = 0.020 m, covered in a time of 0.020 s.
$$\text{speed} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}} = \frac{0.020}{0.020}$$ [1]
$$= 1.0 \text{ m/s}$$ [1]
(d) Advantage of a ticker timer over a stopwatch [1]
A ticker timer provides a permanent record of the motion on the tape. It automatically records the position of the trolley at many equally spaced time intervals, removing the need for human reaction time and allowing detailed analysis of the motion after the experiment. [1]
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