Discover Centripetal Force Kit

The Discover Centripetal Force Kit demonstrates the change in centripetal force as key variables are manipulated. A range of rubber stoppers are included to allow mass to be varied widely. Convenient plastic ties are used to easily secure the swinging masses to the string.

How It Works:

Designed around the classic PSSC experiment, students hold the metal tube and swing the rubber stopper overhead. The rubber stopper moves in a circular path while the other end of the string is connected to a hanging mass. Since the system is in equilibrium, the centripetal force is equal to the weight of the hanging mass.

Once the swinging mass is moving with constant speed, another student uses a stopwatch to time the period of one revolution. Students also measure the radius of the circular path, allowing them to calculate the speed of the rubber stopper by dividing the circumference by the period.