A glider is pushed on an air track to show motion at a constant velocity. A plot of position vs. time and velocity vs. time is displayed.
* Equipment seen in the video may vary from equipment used in ND Demonstrations. See information and images below for ND equipment and setup.
Setup:
Connect the motion sensor to the Pasco interface. Connect the interface to the computer. Mount the motion sensor above the air track aligned with the sail on the glider using the ring stand. Open the Pasco data collection software and create graphs of position vs. time and velocity vs. time.
Turn on air track. Place the glider on the track and hold it in place. Press record on the software and give the glider a gentle push. The graphs populate. Press stop to end data collection.
Notes:
Level the air track.
Ensure that the motion sensor is in cart mode. (There is a switch on the sensor.)
Use a sail on the glider for more accurate data collection.
Courses Used In:
PHY 10111
PHY 10310
PHY 10410
PHY 30210
Discussion and Polling Questions:
Can a cart be considered going at a constant velocity if it's not moving?
What would an acceleration vs. time graph look like in the case of not moving and in the case of constant velocity? How would they differ?
In a constant velocity situation, how does the instantaneous velocity differ from the average?
Equipment Needed:
Air Track Cart
One Air track Glider with Sail
Motion Sensor
Pasco Interface
Demo Computer or Laptop
Ring Stand