College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
1C20.75 - Fan Carts
NOTE: The fan carts are in the 1H10.20 demo box.
Level the PASCO track. Turn the fan cart to "high" and place it so that the wind is going go blow in the opposite direction that you are going to push the cart. Give it a gentle push down the track so that the fan cart goes down the track, slows down, eventually stops, and the reverses direction and comes back to you. Video the motion for in class analysis. You will need an App for that!!
- Joseph El-Helou, Calvin S. Kalman, "Activities to Help High School Students Understand Newton's Second Law of Motion", TPT, Vol. 62, #4, April 2024, p. 305.
- Steve Brehmer, "Fan Carts: Measuring Fan Force and Friction", TPT, Vol. 62, #3, March 2024, p. 234.
Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist. The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose. The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources. Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks. These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage. Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.