Product Summary
Add the Rotational Inertia Accessory to any PASCO Rotary Motion Sensor to study the oscillations of a pendulum, the rotational inertia of a disk, a steel ring and a metal rod, as well as the conservation of momentum during a rotational collision. The clamp-on Super Pulley allows students to apply a torque by hanging a mass over the pulley.
Conservation of Angular Momentum
To demonstrate conservation of angular momentum, a non-rotating ring is dropped onto a rotating disk. The angular velocity of the disk is recorded in real time, and students can easily determine the angular velocities of the disk just before and after the ring is dropped. Combining these velocities with the rotational inertia of the disk and ring, students can confirm that angular momentum is conserved.
Coupled Pendulums
Couple two pendulums with a rubber band and plot the Position vs. Time for each pendulum. The result is a vivid example of energy transfer between the pendulums.
Large Amplitude Pendulum
By placing one mass on each end of the tube, the pendulum will oscillate slowly. Students will have time to view the motion of the pendulum, while also watching the real-time graph of displacement, velocity, and acceleration vs. time. The period can be measured as a function of the amplitude of the pendulum and compared to theory.
What's Included
- 1x Disks : 8.9 cm diameter, 100 g
- 1x Thin Ring: 8.9 cm o.d., 7.9 cm i.d., 100 g
- 1x 38 cm Pendulum Rod (27 g)
- 2x 75 g Mass
- 1x Clamp-on Super Pulley
- 1x Alignment Guides: 3.9 cm radius, 1.7 g
Product Specifications
| Disk Mass | 100 g |
| Ring Mass | 100 g |
| Disk Diameter | 8.9 cm |
| Ring Diameter | 8.9 cm O.D., 7.9 cm I.D. |
| Rod Mass | 28 g |
| Rod Dimensions | 0.8 cm diameter, 38 cm long |
| Brass Masses | 75 g |
| Alignment Guide Mass | 2 g |
Software Required
This product requires PASCO software for data collection and analysis. We recommend the following option(s). For more information on which is right for your classroom, see our Software Comparison: SPARKvue vs. Capstone »
Interface Required
This product requires a PASCO Interface to connect to your computer or device. We recommend the following option(s). For a breakdown of features, capabilities, and additional options, see our Interface Comparison Guide »
Dedicated Datalogging with SPARK LXi
Consider an all-in-one, touchscreen data collection, graphing, and analysis tool for students. Designed for use with wired and wireless sensors, the SPARK LXi Datalogger simultaneously accommodates up to five wireless sensors and includes two ports for blue PASPORT sensors. It features an interactive, icon-based user interface within a shock-absorbing case and arrives packaged with SPARKvue, MatchGraph!, and Spectrometry software for interactive data collection and analysis. It can additionally connect via Bluetooth to the following interfaces: AirLink, SPARKlink Air, and 550 Universal Interface.
Experiment Library
Perform the following experiments and more with the Rotational Inertia Accessory.
Visit PASCO's Experiment Library to view more activities.
Advanced Placement • College • High School / Physics
Students use hanging masses to apply torque to a rotating arm and measure its angular acceleration. After varying the torque, they experimentally determine the mathematical relationship between net torque and angular acceleration.
Advanced Placement • College • High School / Physics
Students measure the change in angular velocity when a rotating disc experiences a sudden change in rotational inertia.
