3B Scientific Acceleration Sensor, ±5g User Manual
Page 4

3B Scientific GmbH • Rudorffweg 8 • 21031 Hamburg • Germany •
www.3bscientific.com
Subject to technical amendments
© Copyright 2007 3B Scientific GmbH
4. Technical data
Measurement range:
0 to ±50 m/s²
Sensor type:
Capacitive semiconduc-
tor sensor 
Sensitivity: Typically
400mV/g
Non-linearity:
No more than ±1% of 
the full measurement 
range. 
Resolution:
0.03
m/s²
Band width:
typically 50 Hz
Drill hole for sensor 
attachment: 
3 mm diam. max.
5. Operation
•
Place the sensor box alongside the experiment 
and attach the acceleration sensor (small black 
box) to the mass to be investigated (target). Use 
the supplied Velcro strip or a clamp for this 
purpose. 
•
Read the value of the acceleration from the 
display on the 3B NETlog
TM
unit.
6. Applications
Demonstration track and air track experiments:
Downward acceleration
Elastic and non-elastic impact
Oscillating spring-mass system
High-resolution measurement of objects’ inclina-
tion 
Pendulum oscillations
Jumping experiments; “bungee jumping”
7. Sample experiment
Acceleration measurement in a damped oscillat-
ing spring-mass system 
Required equipment:
1 3B NETlog
TM
interface
U11300
1 3B NETlab
TM
software
program
U11310
1 5-g accelerometer
U11363
1 Stand base
U13270
1 Stand rod, 750 mm length
U15003
1 Stand rod, 250 mm length
U15001
2
Universal
clamps
U13255
1 Coil spring 3 N/m
U15027
1 Weight 100 g, from
U30016
•
Set up the equipment for the experiment as in 
Fig. 1. 
•
Run the 3B NETlab
TM
software with the appro-
priate template for the experiment using the 
5g accelerometer. 
•
Attach the acceleration sensor to the weight 
with a piece of Velcro. 
•
Suspend the weight and acceleration sensor 
from the eye at the bottom of the coil spring 
and be careful not to hinder the oscillating 
motion. 
•
Drape the connecting lead for the acceleration 
sensor over the universal clamp, as shown in 
Fig. 1. This adds further to the damping. 
•
Pull down the weight by hand to the level of 
the stand base and release it. 
•
Start recording the measurement data in 3B 
NETlab
TM
(Fig. 2).
•
Analyse the recorded chart.
Fig. 1 Acceleration measurement for a damped oscilla-
tion of a mass on a spring
Fig. 2 Monitor display of the damped oscillation of a
mass on a spring in 3B NET
lab
TM (U11310)
