Smart Cart Accessories
Experiments and demos that can be performed with Smart Cart accessories.
Grade Level: Advanced Placement • College • High School
Subject: Physics
Activities
01) Change in Kinetic Energy
Students measure the force from the Smart Fan, then investigate the relationship between the change in kinetic energy and the distance traveled. From this they discover the work-energy theorem.
02) Smart Cart Meetup
Students collect data of the speed of a Smart Cart powered by a Smart Cart Motor as a function of the power setting. They use the data to create an equation that allows them to predict the speed for any power setting. They predict and test the motion of their cart, then team up with another group to make and test predictions about the relative motion of the two carts.
03) Average and Instantaneous Velocity
In this activity, students use a Smart Cart Motor attached to a Smart Cart to investigate the differences and relationship between average velocity and instantaneous velocity. The motor is used to move the cart at a constant velocity, a non-constant velocity, and an increasing velocity. Students determine the average velocity for each run by finding the slope of a position versus time graph and calculating the average velocity using the total change in position and time during the run.
04) Graph Matching
In this lab, the velocity of a Smart Cart Motor is controlled by a Blockly program using an equation of motion. Students try to match the initial velocity and acceleration values in the program to the provided position versus time and velocity versus time graphs.
05) Relative Motion
The purpose of this lab is to study motion relative to a moving reference frame. The velocity of a Smart Cart, as measured by the cart's motion sensor, is not the same as the velocity reported by a Motion Sensor mounted to a second Smart Cart with a Smart Cart Motor attached. The relative velocity is measured by the Motion Sensor and compared to the expected value.
06) Vector Components of Velocity
Students explore the relationship between the velocity of an object and its vector components using a Wireless Motion Sensor, a Smart Cart and a Smart Cart Motor, which drives the cart with constant velocity.
07) Testing Coulomb's Friction Model
Students will use a Smart Cart with a Smart Cart Motor and a friction block to measure the force of kinetic friction at various constant speeds. They will use the data to evaluate the assumption that speed does not affect the friction force and to create a model that predicts the friction force at a speed not tested.
08) Locating an Earthquake Epicenter
Students model earthquake P and S waves using Smart Carts connected to a Smart Cart Motor. They measure the known speed of the carts and the difference in their arrival time to determine the distance to the earthquake epicenter.
09) Red Light/Green Light
Students create Blockly code that controls a wireless light source and a Smart Cart Motor based on inputs from a light sensor and a position sensor. A successful code will mimic the playground game "Red Light/Green Light."