Dynamics Cart Labs Without Sensors
This collection of activities includes various dynamics labs that use PASCO dynamics carts without sensor measurements.
Grade Level: College • High School
Subject: Physics
Activities
01) Average versus Instantaneous Velocities
In this lab, a cart will be used to investigate one-dimensional accelerated motion. The cart will be launched over the floor using the built-in spring plunger. The cart will decelerate over the floor under the combined action of rolling friction and floor slope. You will be able to establish whether or not the acceleration of the cart is constant. This will be done by initially assuming a constant acceleration and then by examining the results to see if they are consistent with this assumption.
02) Coefficient of Friction
In this lab, a cart will be launched over the floor using the cart's plunger. The cart will decelerate over the floor under the combined action of rolling friction and the average floor slope. To determine both the coefficient of rolling friction, µ, and the angle the floor is inclined, θ, two separate experiments must be done.
03) Newton's Second Law
In this lab, a small mass, m, will be connected to the cart by a string. The string passes over a pulley at the table’s edge so that the cart accelerates as the mass falls. Both the falling mass and the cart will have the same acceleration (assuming the string is not elastic and without slack). The resulting acceleration of this system will be experimentally determined and this value will be compared to the acceleration predicted by Newton’s second law.
04) Measuring the Spring Constant
The cart has a spring plunger that can be used for producing relatively elastic collisions and providing a reproducible launch velocity. In this lab, you will determine the spring constant of the spring plunger.
05) Rackets, Bats, and "Sweet Spots"
The position on the bat corresponding to the maximum energy transfer is called the “sweet spot.” There is another position on the bat where no shock (or impulse) is transferred to the batter's hands when striking a ball. This point is generally located at a different position than the sweet spot and is called the “percussion point.” In this lab, you will determine the sweet spot and percussion point using a meterstick as the bat and a cart as the ball.
06) Kinetic Friction and Energy Conservation
In this lab, a cart is launched down a ramp while riding on a friction block. The initial elastic and gravitational potential energy of the cart are converted to thermal energy as the cart slides to a stop. The thermal energy generated on the surfaces is equal to the work done against sliding friction.