A group of students performing Newton\'s Second Law experiment generated the gra

Question

A group of students performing Newton's Second Law experiment generated the graph shown below from their data. Which of the following statements is true regarding the trustworthiness of the data? (Select all that apply.)

The plot of the data crosses the x-axis at a positive value of the acceleration. This means that when the hanging mass is zero, the cart still has some acceleration, which seems contrary to Newton's Second Law.

The track was not level and the cart went downhill during the experiment, causing the cart to accelerate in the forward direction even when the hanging mass was zero.

The negative y-intercept indicates the amount of friction force present.

The graph crossing the x-axis at some positive value of the acceleration indicates the presence of a non-zero acceleration, which is in agreement with Newton's Second Law.

Friction would cause the plot to be shifted upward such that the y-intercept is positive. Therefore the negative y-intercept indicates incorrect data.

The graph should have a positive y-intercept because a certain amount of mass is needed on the hanger to overcome the friction and create a net force in the forward direction.

Explanation / Answer

The track was not level and the cart went downhill during the experiment, causing the cart to accelerate in the forward direction even when the hanging mass was zero.

The negative y-intercept indicates the amount of friction force present.

The graph should have a positive y-intercept because a certain amount of mass is needed on the hanger to overcome the friction and create a net force in the forward direction.

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