1F30.25 - Inertia of Motion - Air Track & Homer

Place one of the passengers on the air track platform cart. Push them toward one end of the air track.
When the cart hits the end of the air track, the cart will bounce back, but the passenger (Homer or Bart) will continue in the initial direction, fly off the cart and over the end of the air track.
A variation of this is to use one of the jumping passengers. As long as the cart is moving uniformly, the figure will jump up and down while remaining on the cart. When the cart hits the end of the air track, the figure will fly off the cart and over the end of the air track in the same manner as the above example.
Code Number:
1F30.25
Demo Title:
Inertia of Motion - Air Track & Homer
Condition:
Excellent
Principle:
Inertia of Motion
Area of Study:
Mechanics

Disclaimer

Equipment:
Air track, Platform Car, Passengers for car.
Procedure:

Place one of the passengers on the air track platform cart.  Push them toward one end of the air track.  When the cart hits the end of the air track, the cart will bounce back, but the passenger (Homer or Bart) will continue in the initial direction, fly off the cart and over the end of the air track.  

A variation of this is to use one of the jumping passengers.  As long as the cart is moving uniformly, the figure will jump up and down while remaining on the cart.  When the cart hits the end of the air track, the figure will fly off the cart and over the end of the air track in the same manner as the above example.

References:
  • John Wolbeck, "Instantaneous Velocity Using Photogate Timers", TPT, Vol. 48, # 4, April 2010, p. 262.
  • "Figuring Physics", TPT, Vol. 46, # 9, Dec. 2008, p. 552.
  • Mark A. Ilyes and James M. Filizzi, "Pizza Boy vs the Highway Department", TPT, Vol. 43, No. 7, pp. 434-437, October 2005.
  • A. Maksymowics, W. J. Renoud, "Car Safety Demonstrations for Air Track", AJP, Vol. 41, #11, p. 1294
  • Jodi and Roy McCullough, "Vectors with a Pop Over Toy", The Role of Toys in Teaching Physics, p. 4.98.
  • Borislaw Bilash II, David Maiullo, "Friction is Working", A Demo a Day: A Year of Physics Demonstrations, p. 80.
  • Borislaw Bilash II, David Maiullo, "It's All Relative", A Demo a Day: A Year of Physics Demonstrations, p. 16.
  • Mercer, "Crash Test Dummy", Junk Drawer Physics, p. 11.

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.