Activity Overview
In this activity, students will use a motion detector to record the position and velocity of a swinging pendulum. They will plot the data as a velocity versus position phase plot and determine an ellipse that fits it.
Before the Activity
Connect the motion detector to DIG/SONIC port of the CBL 2™ or the DIG/SONIC 1 port of the LabPro®
Connect the CBL 2 or LabPro to the calculator using the Unit-to-Unit cable
Download Vernier EasyData™ application using the TI Connect™ software
See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
Print pages 22-1 thru 22-5 from the attached Student Edition PDF file for your class
Print pages 22-1T thru 22-3T of the Teacher Edition
During the Activity
Distribute the pages to your class.
Follow the Activity procedures:
Connect the pendulum bob to an 80 cm long string and suspend it from a support
Arrange the Motion detector so that the bob swings back and forth in front of it and comes no closer than 50 cm.
Examine the distance versus time and the velocity versus distance plots on the calculator
Trace the velocity versus distance graph and record the average of the absolute values of both the x and the y intercepts in the Data Sheet
Graph the ellipse equation
After the Activity
Students' will complete the Data Collection and Analysis Sheet and answer questions listed in it.
Review student results
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary