Power supply, rotating air table, air table plate, objects
tennis ball on strings fastened to an air table plate, rotator

 

Code Number: 1D55.30

Demo Title: Falling Off The Merry-Go-Round

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Angular Velocity, Linear Velocity vs. Radius

Area of Study: Mechanics

Equipment: 

Power supply, Pasco rotator or rotating air table, air table plate, objects to place at different radii.

Procedure:

To show different velocities depending on the distance from the center of the wheel, place an object at a large radius and find the rotation rate where the object slides off.  Keep the rotation rate the same and repeat the experiment with the object at a small radius.  The object will not slide off the plate until the rotation rate is significantly increased.  

References:

  • Terrence Toepker, "Jumping Off a Merry-Go-Round", TPT, Vol. 60, #3, March 2022, p. 176.
  • Sarah Phan-Budd, "Finger Paint and Physics: A Simple Demonstration of Circular Motion and Conservation of Energy", TPT, Vol. 58, #1, Jan. 2020, p. 66.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "F.12, Pennies on a Rotating Turntable", Turn the World Inside Out, p. 78.
  • Borislaw Bilash II, Davi Maiullo, "Spin-Offs", A Demo a Day: A Year of Physics Demonstrations, p. 134.
  • Borislaw Bilash II, “Velocity and Momentum“, A Demo A Day – A Year of Physical Science Demonstrations, p. 248.
University of Maryland Physics Department QOTW Question #24
University of Maryland Physics Department QOTW Answer #24
 
1D55.30 - University of Maryland QOTW #24