PASCO ME-8088 Centripetal Force Apparatus User Manual

Page 14

Model No. ME-8088

Centripetal Force Apparatus

Experiment Tips

a) Allow the “free mass” plenty of length along its holder within the slot.

If the mass is not free to slide along the groove, significant frictional
losses can be present.

b) To add the free mass, lay the components over the attachment

screw in the following order: a) cable b) mass and c) thumbscrew
to tighten. (Note: Place the cable over the washer and nut on the
screw. For more details, see “Equipment Setup” on pages 5-7.)

Note: Do not place the mass underneath the cable, as this will
interfere with a proper measurement.

c) Place an equal amount of mass on the “fixed mass” and “free mass”

holders.

d) Be sure to place the “fixed mass” at the same radius as the “free

mass” to ensure balancing of the unit at is rotates.

e) To vary the radius, adjust the position of the Force Sensor (See

Figure 3a).

f) In the DataStudio file for this experiment, a graph display is

available for monitoring the velocity of the rotating mass.

g) Be sure to enter the correct value for the radius in the experimental

constants area of the calculator. This will need to be changed for
each data run of this experiment.

Figure 3c: Calculator Dialog box