In this experiment, students will use an Acceleration Sensor,
Photogate, and Xplorer datalogger to discover the relationship
between centripetal acceleration and distance from the axis of
rotation.
Press the Start/Stop button on each
of the Xplorers.
Gently spin the Rotating Platform
and release it.
Allow the platform to rotate freely
for about 10 seconds, then stop it. Press the Start/Stop button
again on each of the Xplorers to stop data collection.
Repeat steps 1-3 for radii of 10
cm, 15 cm, and 20 cm. In each data run, try to spin the rotating
platform with about the same initial velocity.
Why is the centripetal acceleration measured by the sensor
negative for each of the data runs?
How is centripetal acceleration related to the radius
of rotation?
Starting with y=mx+b, write an equation that describes
the acceleration-radius graph. Don’t forget units on
slope and vertical intercept.
What is the physical meaning of the vertical intercept?
Does you’re the value of your vertical intercept
make physical sense? Explain.
Make an educated guess about the physical meaning of the
slope of the acceleration-radius graph. Use the units of
the slope to help in your educated guess.
Look in your textbook to find an equation similar to yours
and look for the name scientists give to the slope of the
centripetal acceleration-radius graph.
What would be the centripetal acceleration at a radius
of 100 cm for the same velocity used in your experiment?
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