Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] gravitational force



On 10/31/2006 09:23 AM, Mike VanAntwerp wrote:
Does anyone have any lab activities or advice on teaching a unit on
this? I'd appreciate any help with this.

Can you ask a more specific question? There are probably hundreds
if not thousands of possible lessons in this general area. Just to
scratch the surface:
-- Dropping things.
-- Rolling things on inclined planes, à la Galileo.
-- Pine car derby.
-- Pendulums.
-- Interrupted pendulums, à la Galileo.
-- Putting an accelerometer in a nearby elevator.
-- A field trip to the nearest pre-school playground merry-go-round
http://trouble.philadelphiaweekly.com/archives/MERRY-GO-%20ROUND.jpg
-- Centrifuges.
-- Centrifuges where the string is cut loose at the 12:00 position so
that the subsequent motion of the now-free particle can be observed.
Hint: the string can be cut by a torch, or released by a photogate
plus electromagnet. The idea is you want to make sure the cutting
process doesn't disturb the motion.
-- et cetera...................