I’ve been roped into a STEM project. The idea is to test the acceleration rate of a go-kart and chart the change (more time for the same distance) of added weight. I know a G is 32.17 feet per second squared. I am building an Arduino with light sensors and laser diodes for the timing system. I thought I would set the spacing at 0 feet to 32 feet 2 inches and 64 feet 4 inches (WAG) and measure the timing from start to point A and point A to point B. I know I will see the difference of the added weight in the time difference, but I was trying to calculate a G and got lost… Todd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equations_of_motion Given your limited measurements, distance and time, you will have to assume that acceleration is constant. forum doesn't like my image link... https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/d0a36878090f1271c204f7f623fe0eb5aad6c3b6 Your R0 and V0 are both zero, so you are just left with r=1/2at^2, or a=2r/t^2. If you measure in feet and seconds then you just need to divide by 32.2ft/sec to get g's Is this measurement and calculation part of the project, or is it more about the effect of the weight on the kart? because you could probably get a sensor to measure the acceleration directly or even use an app on a phone.
Its been a while since I was in physics and taken a calculus class, but if I remember correctly, as acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, you can track the velocity of the go kart then graph it against time. Then find an equation that roughly fits the acceleration graph (linear or quadratic). Once you have that equation, the derivative of the equation should give you the instantaneous acceleration at any given moment. Ideally, the velocity of the kart will be linearly increasing, giving a constant acceleration.
