Re: Ealing 3.75m air track VS Pasco tracks??

[Jim Riley <jriley@lib.drury.edu>]

We still have four of our original 3.75 m Ealing tracks plus four shorter
tracks purchased from (?).  We have used them extensively since their
purchase in 1968.  We have trouble keeping blowers running.  Originally we
used sears shop vacs and then later blowers obtained from various sources.  

The biggest disadvantage of the tracks is the noise the blowers make. 

The pasco tracks of course make no noise and are much cheaper than the air
tracks.  If I were starting from scratch right now I would probably choose
the tracks.  

One advantage of the tracks is that one can load up the Pasco carts with a
much larger mass than one can the air carts.  This is useful if you want to
exert a constant force with a force sensor and measure the acceleration.
With the air carts large masses added tend to make them drag.  The small
mass and nearly zero friction of the cart give them such a large
acceleration under forces which can be conveniently measured with a force
sensor that it is physically difficult to keep up with them.  

We will probably purchase tracks in the near future and use both depending
on the particular application.

At 01:22 PM 10/17/97 CST, you wrote:
> Phys-L friends,
>
> How many of you still have and use the old Ealing
> 3.75m air tracks sold circa 1970?? 
>
> We still have 2 in our department that are used every
> semester in our demonstrations in the lecture courses.
> While the air tracks are still operational, we must
> always adjust the levelness of the track by adjusting
> the bolts that are attached to the I-beam support. The
> track gets a lot of milage because we have to move it
> from the first floor to the second floor and back a few
> times a semester. Another thing we do is file corners of 
> the gliders
> after they are dropped on the floor during the demonstration.
> Still, this track is an excellent demonstration.
>
> I have noticed that Pasco sells a long track on which friction-less
> carts ride on and basically do the things that the Ealing air 
> track can do.
>
> Does anyone have any experiences to share about the Pasco track and
> any recommendations??
>
> Thanks.
>
> Santos Ramirez
> Physics Department
> Texas A&M University
> College Station,  TX  USA
Jim Riley
Department of Physics
Drury College
Springfield Missouri  65802
(417) 873 7233
e-mail:  jriley@lib.drury.edu
fax: (417) 873 7432