You can click on the image to download it in gif format.
You can click on the image to download it in gif format.
Further information on Theory, Apparatus, and Procedure is available. Equipment is stored in Rockerfeller Rooms 402 and 403.
This setup can be used to demonstrate both conservation of kinetic energy and the uniform accereation of gravity.
There are two forces to consider when dealing with a vertical loop. Those are the weight of the cart and the centripetal force. The centripetal force is found by the equation: Fc = m(v*v/r). The velocity at any height is found by using the conservation of energy equations. Don't forget to include the rotational and translational kinetic energies.
In order for the ball to remain on the track it must have a centripetal force which is equal to or greater than its weight.
The equipment needed for this demo is:
Set up the looped track on a completely level surface. Set up the photogate at the beginning of the loop. Start the ball with an arbitrary initial velocity. Use this velocity, the mass of the ball, and the acceleration due to gravity to determine centripetal accelerations at distinct points along the loop (especially the top).
Did the ball remain on the track for the whole loop? Did it fall? Why?
Repeat this with spheres of different weights. Do they require a different velocity to remain on the track? Explain.
To return to the Mechanics Demo Catalogue .
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