Mechanics

Lab Resources

Linear Regression

Percent Error and Percent Difference

Lab Manuals

Measurements – Density of a Cylinder
- Measurements – Density of a Cylinder
  
  The purpose of this laboratory exercise is to determine the density of the material of the cylinder by measuring the mass, length, and diameter of a cylinder...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
Free Fall
- Free Fall – Concepts
  
  The first part of this document derives the equations necessary for the lab from the definitions of average velocity and average acceleration in the manner of PY205N...
- Free Fall – Procedure
  
  Use a timing device to measure the fall time for an object in free fall...
- Free Fall – Procedure – Alternate Lab
  
  Audacity® can be used for very accurate time measurements if the event being measured has a distinct sound at the beginning and end...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Modeling Free Fall
  
  Now that you've done experimental measurements of an object in free fall, you will model the motion of an object in free fall using numerical methods and compare your results...
Momentum and Uniformly Accelerated Motion
- Momentum and Uniformly Accelerated Motion – Concepts
  
  This document is largely for N students. This week's lab should be a very straightforward application of the Momentum Principle for M students, but may not be as familiar for N students. The following very briefly covers the main ideas...
- Momentum and Uniformly Accelerated Motion – Procedure
  
  The Techniques section details the equipment that will be used, as well as how to do various tasks you will need for the lab. The Experiment - Motion with a Constant Force section gives instructions for the experiment itself...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Capstone Setup File
  
  Right-click and save target as uniformly_accelerated_motion.cap.
Uniform Circular Motion
- Uniform Circular Motion – Concepts
  
  The principle behind this experiment is that the weight of the hanging mass provides a tension that will provide the centripetal force for the swinging mass...
- Uniform Circular Motion – Procedure
  
  Most of the data collection from the lab will involve the following method...
- Uniform Circular Motion – Concepts – Alternate Lab
  
  The principle behind this experiment is that the weight of the hanging mass provides a tension that will provide the centripetal force for the swinging mass...
- Uniform Circular Motion – Procedure – Alternate Lab
  
  Most of the data collection from the lab will involve the following method...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
Measuring Impulse and Momentum Change in 1 Dimension
- Measuring Impulse and Momentum Change in 1 Dimension – Concepts
  
  This document is largely for N students. This week's lab should be a very straightforward application of the Momentum Principle for M students, but may not be as familiar for N students. The following very briefly covers the main ideas...
- Measuring Impulse and Momentum Change in 1 Dimension – Procedure
  
  In this lab, you will do the following: Use a computer interface to collect and display data; Simultaneously use a motion sensor and a force sensor; Use your measurements to relate impulse to change in momentum...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Capstone Setup File
  
  Right-click and save target as impulse-momentum-one-dimension.cap.
Simple Harmonic Motion
- Simple Harmonic Motion – Concepts
  
  Have you ever wondered why a grandfather clock keeps accurate time...
- Simple Harmonic Motion – Procedure
  
  You will be using two different principles to determine the stiffness of a spring, and also comparing the outcomes of two methods...
- Simple Harmonic Motion – Procedure – Alternate Lab
  
  You will be using two different principles to determine the stiffness of a spring, and also comparing the outcomes of two methods...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Worksheet – Alternate Lab
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
Impulse, Momentum, and Energy
- Impulse, Momentum, and Energy – Concepts
  
  Newton expressed what we now call his second law of motion, not as F = ma, but in terms of the rate of change of momentum of the object dp/dt...
- Impulse, Momentum, and Energy – Procedure
  
  In this lab, you will verify the Impulse-Momentum Theorem by investigating the collision of a moving cart with a fixed spring...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Capstone Setup File
  
  Right-click and save target as work-energy-850.cap.
Conservation of Mechanical Energy
- Conservation of Mechanical Energy – Concepts
  
  When a body moves, some things—such as its position, velocity, and momentum—change...
- Conservation of Mechanical Energy – Procedure
  
  In this experiment, you will roll a ball down a ramp situated above a table as in Figure 1...
- Conservation of Mechanical Energy – Procedure – Alternate Lab
  
  In this experiment, you will roll a ball down a ramp and off the table, measuring horizontal and vertical distances associated with the motion in order to determine the speed of the ball at the time it leaves the table...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
Angular Impulse and Angular Momentum Change
- Angular Impulse and Angular Momentum Change
  
  In this lab you will use measurements to relate the angular impulse τ_AΔt to a change in angular momentum ΔL...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Excel® Spreadsheet
  
  Due to the nature of this lab, you will be recording your data, calculations, and graphs in an Excel® spreadsheet. You will upload this spreadsheet in WebAssign.
- Capstone Setup File
  
  Right-click and save target as moment-of-inertia-850.cap.
Air Resistance
- Air Resistance – Concepts
  
  When a moving object is in contact with objects in the surroundings, some of the object's kinetic energy can be dissipated, or transferred to the surroundings, which typically become hotter...
- Air Resistance – Procedure
  
  In this experiment, you will do these tasks (each one is detailed more fully in the subsections below)...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Excel® Spreadsheet
  
  Due to the nature of this lab, you will be recording your data, calculations, and graphs in an Excel® spreadsheet. You will upload this spreadsheet in WebAssign.
Macroscopic and Microscopic Springs
- Macroscopic and Microscopic Springs – Concepts
  
  The magnitude of the force exerted by a spring on an object attached to it, is linearly proportional to the absolute value of the stretch of the spring...
- Macroscopic and Microscopic Springs – Procedure
  
  In this lab you will investigate the spring-like properties of a straight wire...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...
- Excel® Spreadsheet
  
  Due to the nature of this lab, you will be recording your data, calculations, and graphs in an Excel® spreadsheet. You will upload this spreadsheet in WebAssign.
Speed of Sound
- Speed of Sound
  
  In this lab, you will use simple measurements and calculations to determine the speed of sound in air, and then compare your results with theoretical predictions...
- Worksheet
  
  You will use a hard copy of this worksheet to enter data as you work through the experiment. Print the worksheet and bring it with you to the lab...