PASCO ME-9207B FREE FALL ADAPTER - Manual (Page 5)

1
012-05760B Free Fall Adapter
Introduction
The PASCO Model ME-9207B Free Fall Adapter is an
automatic release mechanism that plugs into PASCO
Photogate Timers, Smart Timer, ScienceWorkshop
®
computer interfaces, and other electronic timing
devices, allowing you to measure the acceleration due
to gravity (g) with 1 percent accuracy. It is also easily
adapted for a variety of other mechanics experiments,
providing a highly accurate method for starting and
stopping the electronic timers. Some examples of
these other uses are provided at the end of this
manual.
In the basic free fall experiment, a steel ball is
clamped into the spring loaded release mechanism.
The ball is in series with the triggering circuit for the
photogate timer. When the thumbscrew is turned, the
mechanism pops open, releasing the ball and starting
the timer. When the ball strikes the receptor pad, the
top plate of the pad is forced against the metal base.
This automatically stops the timer. The timer display
shows the time it took for the ball to drop from the re-
lease mechanism to the pad.
Equipment
ball release
mechanism
steel ball
receptor pad
phone plug
(Connect to
Photogate Timer)
controller box
Equipment Included:
• Free Fall Adapter: (ball release mechanism, recep-
tor pad, controller box, cable, and phone jack con-
nector)
• 2 steel balls (1.27 cm diameter)
• 2 steel balls (1.91 cm diameter)
Additional Equipment Required:
• clamp (such as the PASCO SE-9446 Buret Clamp
• rod stand
• electronic timing device (such as the PASCO ME-
9403 Photogate Timer, PASCO ME-8930 Smart
Timer, PASCO ScienceWorkshop® computer inter-
face (500 or 700 series and CI-6500)
• metric stick
Figure 1. Free Fall Adapter: Included Equipment