acceleration

Falling Drops

Falling drops setup

Introduction The falling drops demonstration is a way for students to observe the motion of an object under a constant acceleration (in this case, from gravity). By timing the flashing of a strobe light to sync with a water pump, fluorescing falling water drops appear to freeze midair. Students can… Continue reading »

Galileo Ramp

Galileo drop final set up

Introduction Final set up of Galileo drop To observe the displacement of an object at constant acceleration, a cart is sent down an inclined air track, with flags or sticky notes marking positions on the track. These positions correspond to the increasing distances traveled over equal time intervals. A… Continue reading »

Fan Cart and Motor Cart

Fan cart final setup Introduction The motion of different types of carts on a track, one with a fan that creates a constant acceleration, the other with a motor that creates a constant velocity, can be graphed onto a classroom computer by a sonic ranger. Weights are available for… Continue reading »