If you have a small toy car rolling down an wooden plank, what factors would increase or decrease the velocity of said car. In the experiment my team originally stated that adding mass to the car would increase it's velocity as it is creating more downward momentum. However we had to change our experiment to the different surfaces that apply more friction and would therefore change the velocity because other teams told us that mass doesn't affect velocity. Were they correct in telling us that mass doesn't affect velocity or vice versa.
Also what other factors can influence the velocity of the car rolling freely down the inclined plane, other than the surface, incline, air resistance, and mass.
What formulas or theories are related to this topic that i could include in my discussion to back up my results and finding?
[Physics] What factors affect the velocity of an object moving down an inclined plane
energykinematicsnewtonian-mechanicsvelocity
Best Answer
As it turns out, adding mass (while keeping the dimensions of the car fixed) will make the car go faster. This sounds contrary to what all physics students are taught, but the reason is while friction scales with mass, air resistance doesn't. That's why a thirty-foot rock will fall faster than a thirty-foot parachute in an atmosphere. It's also why the winning car in pine-wood or soap-box derby contests usually seem to be right at the weight limit.
Other factors that will affect the car's speed include:
You've already mentioned making the car as aerodynamic as possible. If it's running down a track where it might bump up against a side guardrail or something, using a low-friction material will help (Teflon, or the kind of plastic used in gallon milk jugs, or even tiny wheels mounted on the sides). That's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck.