PIRA
UW-Madison
Physics Lecture Demonstration 

MECHANICS

(1M) - Work and Energy 

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Last Page Update: 07/08/03
 
1M - Work and Energy
10. Work
20. Simple Machines
30. Non-Conservative Forces
40. Conservation of Energy
50. Mechanical Power
Color Code Key:
  • All "Black" Listings are demos currently available.
  • All "Blue" Listings are new demos that are available.
  • All "Red" Listings are new demos that arn't available.
  • All "Green" Listings are broken or out of order.

1M10 - Work

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1M10.10 shelf and block Lift a block up and set it on a shelf.
1M10.15 block on table
1M10.16 carry a block Just carry a block around.
1M10.20 pile driver Drive a nail into a block of wood with a model pile driver.
1M10.20 pile driver A model pile driver pounds a nail into wood.
1M10.20 pile driver A 10 lb block guided by side rails falls onto a nail in wood.
1M10.20 pile driver Drive a nail into a block of wood with a model pile driver.
1M10.20 pile driver Drop a weight onto a nail in wood.
1M10.25 pile driver with soda cans Smash pop cans with a pile driver.
1M10.99 work to remove tape Pull off a piece of tape stuck to the lecture bench.

1M20 - Simple Machines

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1M20.01 simple machines A collection of simple machines is shown.
1M20.10 pulleys An assortment of large pulleys can be rigged several ways.
1M20.10 pulleys Demonstrate what you have.
1M20.11 pulley advantage Place a mass on a string over a pulley and hold a spring scale at the other side. Repeat with a mass hanging from a single pulley in a loop of string.
1M20.11 pulley advantage Hang a 10 newton weight on a string passing over a pulley and measure the force with a spring scale, then hang the weight from a free running pulley.
1M20.13 pulleys Pedagogy. Good diagram.
1M20.15 pulley and scales Same as encyclopedia disc 04-05.
1M20.15 pulley and scales This is a counter intuitive demonstration. A frame containing a spring scale and pulley hangs from another spring scale. Look it up.
1M20.20 bosun's chair Use a single pulley to help the instructor go up.
1M20.20 bosun's chair Using a block and tackle, the lecturer ascends. Full of pedagogical hints on how to do this effectively.
1M20.20 bosun's chair The instructor "lifts himself up by the bootstraps".
1M20.25 monkey and bananas A wind up device and equal mass are placed at either ends of a string placed over a pulley.
1M20.25 monkey and bananas A yo-yo and counterweight are suspended over a pulley. The counterweight and yo-yo rise and fall together.
1M20.25 monkey and the coconut A steel yo-yo and steel counterwieght suspended over two low friction bearings.
1M20.25 climbing monkey A yo-yo and a counterweight are on opposite sides on a pulley. As the yo-yo goes up and down, so does the counterweight.
1M20.25 climbing monkey A steel yo-yo on one side of a pulley and a counterweight on the other. As the yo-yo goes up and down, so does the counterweight.
1M20.26 climbing monkey Two equal masses are hung over a pulley, one of which is equipped with a cord winding mechanism.
1M20.27 windlass A model windlass is described.
1M20.28 climbing pirate String is wrapped around two different sized pulleys on a common axis.
1M20.29 fool's tackle A diagram of the "fools tackle" is shown.
1M20.30 incline plane
1M20.30 screw and wedge A long triangular piece of sailcloth is wound around a mailing tube to show the relationship between a screw and a wedge. Diagram.
1M20.35 big screw as incline plane
1M20.35 big screw A large wood screw and nut (6"-1) show the relationship between a screw and incline.
1M20.40 levers
1M20.40 levers Show the three classes of levers with a mass, bar, pivot, and spring scale.
1M20.40 levers The three classes of simple levers.
1M20.40 levers A torque bar, spring scale, and pivot are used to illustrate the three classes of levers.
1M20.45 body levers Construction and use of a device representing body levers.
1M20.60 wheel and axle The PIC-Kit used for demonstrating simple machines.
1M20.99 black box Hide a mechanism in a box and try to deduce what is inside.

1M30 - Non-Conservative Forces

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1M30.10 air track collision/sliding mass An air cart with a mass that can be locked or free hits the end of the track.
1M30.10 air track collision/sliding mass Compare the bounce of an air cart on an inclined air track with a mass that is attached tightly and loosely.
1M30.15 neg.accelaration due to friction A pendulum hits a tabletop, transferring a wood block rider to the tabletop. Potential to kinetic energy is wasted in friction.
1M30.16 ref. friction blocks see 1K20.16.
1M30.30 the woodpecker A toy bird slides down a rod giving up energy to friction and pecking. A "loose clamp" on the ringstand demo is also shown.

1M40 - Conservation of Energy

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1M40.10 nose basher A bowling ball pendulum is held against the nose and allowed to swing out and back.
1M40.10 nose basher Hold a bowling ball suspended from the ceiling against your nose and let it swing.
1M40.10 nose basher, etc Use bowling balls for the nose basher, drop out or project out of upper floor windows, collisions.
1M40.10 nose basher A large pendulum bob is suspended from the ceiling. Do the nose basher.
1M40.10 nose basher Head against the blackboard, long pendulum.
1M40.10 nose basher Hold a bowling pendulum to the nose and let it go.
1M40.10 nose basher / bb pendulum A bowling ball pendulum is held against the nose and allowed to swing out and back.
1M40.11 recording pendulum motion A complicated device uses a spark timer to record interchange of kinetic and potential energy in a swinging pendulum.
1M40.12 additional references A letter noting that AJP 35(11),1094 has been published many times.
1M40.12 weight of a pendulum Suspend a pendulum from a double beam balance with a small block placed under the opposite pan to keep the system level. Swing the pendulum so it just lifts a weight off the stopped pan.
1M40.12 swinging on the halyards Swinging on the halyards to hoist a sail.
1M40.12 break a pendulum wire Suspend a heavy bob on a weak wire. As the ball descends in its swing, the wire breaks.
1M40.13 burn the pendulum wire A Saran wrap pendulum support is burned to release the bob as it reaches the bottom of its swing. Measure the range of the bob.
1M40.15 stopped pendulum A pendulum started at the height of a reference line reaches the same height when a stop is inserted.
1M40.15 stopped pendulum A pendulum is started at the height of a reference line and returns to that height even when a stop is inserted.
1M40.15 stopped pendulum A pendulum swing is started at the height of a reference line. A stop is inserted and the bob still returns to the same height.
1M40.15 Galileo's pendulum Intercept the string of a pendulum by a post at the bottom of the swing.
1M40.16 blackboard stopped pendulum Do the stopped pendulum on the blackboard.
1M40.20 loop the loop A ball rools down an incline and then around a vertical circle.
1M40.20 loop the loop A ball rolls down an incline and around a loop. Vary the initial height of the ball.
1M40.20 loop the loop Apparatus Drawings Project No. 26: The vertical circle is made by flexing a thin stainless steel strip in a framework of plexiglass.
1M40.20 loop the loop How to make an inexpensive loop the loop from vinyl cove molding.
1M40.20 loop the loop A steel ball is rolled down an angle iron bent to form a incline and loop.
1M40.20 loop the loop An apparatus to do the loop the loop quantitatively. Construction details in appendix, p.589.
1M40.20 loop the loop A ball rolls down an incline and then around a vertical circle.
1M40.20 loop the loop Standard loop the loop.
1M40.20 loop the loop A rolling ball must be released at 2.7 times the radius of the loop.
1M40.21 water loop the loop A water stream "loop the loop" demonstrates the effect of centripetal forces much more dramatically then when a ball is used.
1M40.23 reverse loop the loop The reverse loop-the-loop is placed on a cart hooked to a falling mass that produces an acceleration just large enough to make the ball go around backwards into the cup.
1M40.23 reverse loop-the-loop With a little practice, one can pull a reverse loop-the-loop with a large and prolonged acceleration. Plans and procedures.
1M40.23 reverse loop the loop In the reverse loop-the-loop a ball rolls up an incline and around a loop into a cup as the whole apparatus is accelerated.
1M40.24 loop the loop with slipping analysis Analysis of loop the loop, also dealing with slipping.
1M40.25 energy well track A ball can escape the energy well when released from a point above the peak of the opposite side.
1M40.30 ball in a track A ball rolls in an angle iron bent into a "v" shape.
1M40.30 ball in a trough Roller coaster car on a track runs down one track and up another of a different slope.
1M40.31 deformed air track Deform a 5 m air track into a parabola (1") at center and show oscillations both with the track leveled and with one end raised.
1M40.31 air track potential well Curve an air track into an arc of a vertical circle.
1M40.32 ball in curved tracks Balls are rolled down a series of curved tracks of the same height but different radii.
1M40.33 triple track
1M40.33 ball in a track A large steel ball rolls on a bent angle track with differing slopes.
1M40.33 triple track energy conservation Balls released from three tracks with identical initial angles rise to the same height independent of the angle of the second side of the "v".
1M40.35 roller coaster A ball rolls down a track with four horizontal sections of differing heights. The velocity is measured at each section.
1M40.35 roller coaster experiment Optoelectrical detectors measure the speed of a ball at specific points on a roller coaster track. Could be adapted for lecture demonstration.
1M40.40 ballistic pendulum Shoot a .22 into a block of wood mounted as a pendulum. A slider device measures recoil.
1M40.40 ballistic pendulum A .22 is fired into a suspended wood block. The recoil distance is used to determine the rise of the block.
1M40.40 ballistic pendulum Shoot a .22 straight up into a suspended block of wood.
1M40.40 ballistic pendulum The standard rifle ballistic pendulum setup.
1M40.40 ballistic pendulum Fire a air-gun into a wood block with a paraffin center.
1M40.41 modify the ballistic pendulum Ignoring rotational dynamics results in a large error. Convert to a rotational dynamics device with an additional metal sleeve.
1M40.41 Beck ballistic pendulum Comprehensive review of the Beck ballistic pendulum.
1M40.41 ballistic pendulum The commercial ballistic pendulum.
1M40.41 ballistic pendulum The commercial swinging arm ballistic pendulum.
1M40.42 ballistic pendulum A catapult/ballistic pendulum made of inexpensive materials.
1M40.43 bow and arrow ballistic pendulum The relation between bending of the bow and the velocity of the arrow was found to be linear.
1M40.43 bow and arrow ballistic pendulum Plans for a coffee can target for a bow and arrow ballistic pendulum. Includes slider.
1M40.45 blow gun ballistic pendulum Find the velocity of the dart fired from a blowgun by measuring the fall from the aiming point to the hit point on the target block.
1M40.47 vertical ballistic pendulum A ball is dropped into a box of sand suspended from a spring and the extension of the spring is measured.
1M40.49 trouble with the ballistic pendulum An analysis of the error introduced with non-parallel ropes.
1M40.49 ballistic pendulum tutorial Good tutorial on the ballistic pendulum.
1M40.50 big yo-yo A large disc is hung from bifilar threads wrapped around a small axle.
1M40.50 big yo-yo A shop drawing of axles with three different radii used to make a big yo-yo out of a force table.
1M40.50 big yo-yo A large (2') disc is suspended from a small axle so the string unwinds on the way down and rewinds on the way up.
1M40.50 big yo-yo Two large discs hung from bifilar thread wrapped around a small axle.
1M40.50 big yo-yo A large yo-yo is made by suspending a large spool from two threads wrapped around opposite ends of the axle.
1M40.50 big yo-yo A picture of a commercial Maxwell's wheel.
1M40.50 Maxwell's yoyo Release a large yo-yo and it will bottom out and wind up again.
1M40.51 cheap and simple yo-yos Yo-yos made with cardboard sides and paper towel centers routinely gave time of fall within 1% of predicted
1M40.55 swinging arm A ball is dropped into a pivoting capturing arm from the height required to make it just complete one revolution.
1M40.56 spinner and pendulum A ball suspended as a bifilar pendulum hits a ball of equal mass free to rotate in a horizontal circle.
1M40.57 Pany device A complicated apparatus converts elastic potential energy (spring) into rotational potential energy and back.
1M40.60 height of a ball Rotate a 15.3 in radius bar at 1, 2, or 3 rev/sec, a mechanism releases a ball at the end of the bar at the moment the ball is traveling vertically. The ball rises 1, 4, or 9 ft.
1M40.60 height of a ball A device to project a ball upward at different known velocities to show dependence of kinetic energy on the square of velocity.
1M40.61 1-D trampoline A horizontal string passes over a pulley down to a spring fixed at one end. Place a spitball at the center of the horizontal section and pull it down until the spring extends unit lengths. Compare the heights the spitball reaches.
1M40.63 x-squared spring energy dependence Measure the height of recoil on an air cart glider on an incline after compressing a spring different to different lengths.
1M40.64 spring pong gun A spring gun shoots standard and loaded ping pong ball to different heights.
1M40.65 height of a spring-launched ball A 3/4" steel ball is launched upward by a "stopped spring" (shown), from which the initial velocity is calculated.
1M40.66 mechanical jumping bean Same as TPT 1(3),108.
1M40.66 mechanical jumping bean A mailing tube jumps when a hidden mass moves upward under rubber band power.
1M40.66 jumping tube A spring loaded tube jumps two or three times its own height when triggered. Diagram.
1M40.67 spring jumper Compress a spring under a toy held down be a suction cup.
1M40.68 muzzle velocity - spring constant A method of using the potential energy of the cocked spring to calculate the muzzle velocity. (15% of the energy is lost.)
1M40.69 rachet for inelastic collisions A ratchet mechanism locks a spring in the compressed position giving an inelastic collision with the decrease in kinetic energy stored for later release by tripping the ratchet.
1M40.71 dropping bar Lift a horizontal bar suspended from two springs and drop it through a photocell to measure velocity. Examine the exchange between gravitational, elastic potential, and kinetic energy.
1M40.72 tension in wire when one mass swings A spring scale is suspended between two masses. Set one swinging- a lot of physics.
1M40.74 air track cart and falling mass A mass m attached to a cart M with a string and pulley. Compare kinetic energy gained by m+M with potential energy lost by M.
1M40.76 air disc A falling weight spins an air bearing supported rotating disc. Compare rotational (disc) and translational (weight) kinetic energy with potential energy.
1M40.80 push-me-pull-you sternwheeler Both upstream and downstream motion is possible in a system with a water stream running between the rails and a waterwheel mounted on the rear axle of the cart.
1M40.85 sloping cart This is a counter intuitive demo. Nothing happens when a brick is placed on a slanted cart.
1M40.91 high bounce paradox Flip a half handball inside out and drop on the floor. It bounces back higher than the height from which it was dropped.

1M50 - Mechanical Power

DCS # Demonstration Abstract/Description
1M50.10 Prony brake Turn a large hand cranked pulley with the belt fastened to two spring scales.
1M50.10 Prony brake A belt fastened to two spring scales is strung under tension around a large hand cranked pulley.
1M50.10 Prony brake How to make a self adjusting Prony brake that provides constant torque.
1M50.10 Prony brake Each end of the belt for a Prony brake is attached to a spring scale.
1M50.10 Prony brake Measuring your horsepower by Prony brake and running up stairs. Hints on making a human sized Prony brake.
1M50.10 Prony brake Measuring delivered horsepower by turning a pulley under a stationary belt attached to spring scales at each end.
1M50.10 Prony brake Rotate a shaft against a constant frictional resistive force.
1M50.20 power bicycle Attach a 2" dia. axle to the rear of a bike and use it to lift a weight via a pulley on the ceiling.
1M50.30 ref. hand crank generator see 5K40.80.
1M50.50 rocket wheel Two rockets are mounted on the rim of a bike wheel. The second is fired after effect of the first has been measured showing the power developed by a rocket is a function of its velocity