PASCO ME-9430 Dynamics Cart with Mass User Manual

Page 20

012-04840E

Dynamics Cart

Procedure

1. Set up the system as shown in Figure 5.1. Position the cart so that its plunger hangs over the

edge of the table several centimeters.

NOTE: You will need a long, horizontal table or board for this experiment. A 3/4 inch by 1
foot by 8 foot plywood board is recommended.

2. Arrange to have a stop of some sort to insure that you always use the same pull-back angle for

the hanging meter-stick.

3. Pull the meter-stick or rod back to the pull-back angle that you have chosen, and release it,

allowing it to strike the cart plunger. Record the corresponding values of y and x in Table 5.1.

4. Repeat step 3 four times for each value of y, changing it from roughly 10 to 90 cm in 10 cm

increments.

5. Compute the average value of x for each value of y.

6. By interpolation, determine the location of SS1 from your data and record it below Table 5.1.

7. Using EQN-1, compute the location of SS2 and record it below Table 5.1.

8. If time permits, repeat the above after either re-positioning the pivot (i.e. “choking up”) or

adding 100 grams or so at some point on the stick.

NOTE: This would add a little realism to the experiment, since neither a bat nor a tennis
racket is uniform!