Dry Ice in Circular Motion (Stephen)
Author
Stephen
Principles
Newton's 2nd Law
Uniform Circular Motion
Standards
HS-PS2-1.
Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration
Materials needed
dry ice
smooth surface
thread
tape
screw
screw driver
Procedure
Place a screw into a piece of dry ice.
Tie a piece of thread around the screw and tape the other end of the thread to the center of the circular path that you want the dry ice to follow.
Push the dry ice tangent to the circular path.
Explanation
Objects accelerate in the direction of the total force vector.
To get an object to turn, and total force must be acting in the direction that the object turns.
The total force acting on the dry ice points towards the center of its circular path in the "centripetal" direction.
Questions
What would happen if the string broke while the dry ice was following the circular path?
How would increasing the mass of the dry ice affect the tension required if the the orbital period remained constant?
What direction does the thread pull the dry ice?
How is this demonstration similar to how the earth orbits the sun?
Everyday examples of the principles illustrated
making a turn in a vehicle
satellites
orbits around the sun