I am trying to come up with a good lab for high school students to do
that will clarify and test N2. I have air tracks available but have the
following experiences.
1. With a level air track, using a hanging mass as the constant force
pulling the mass on the track via a pulley seems very complicated for a
student seeing this kind of thing for the first time. The analysis of
such a system already requires a knowledge and acceptance of N2 in order
to figure the force being exerted on the horizontally moving mass so it
seems circular to the students. It is difficult to measure the force
directly since the air track can support limited weight.
2. Last year I tried tipping the air track and measuring the angle of
tip I could know the force acting down the incline and measured
acceleration with a motion detector (CBL). The results were not good
perhaps because it was difficult to measure the angle well.
Are there other ways I should consider having them check and appreciate
N2 or, how might I modify the above for a worthwhile lab. Any ideas are
welcome.