A researcher carries out an experiment to investigate the relationship between the towing force and the initial acceleration of a submerged autonomous glider of constant mass (Newton's second law).
This is their method:
- Release the glider from rest from the same starting position in the water tank each time.
- Ensure the water in the tank is still before each run to reduce drag variations.
- Measure the initial acceleration using an overhead motion tracker connected to a computer.
- Vary the horizontal towing force by adjusting the tension in the cable.
The researcher obtains the following results:
| Force (N)(\text{N})(N) | Acceleration (m/s2)(\text{m/s}^2)(m/s2) |
|---|---|
| 2.0 | 0.40 |
| 4.0 | 0.96 |
| 8.0 | 1.60 |
Describe the trend shown by the researcher's results and suggest how they could improve their method to obtain more accurate and precise results.