3 Easy Ways to Measure Friction with a Smart Cart
Looking to introduce students to friction? Keep your setup simple and your students engaged with these three easy ways to measure friction with a Smart Cart.
When used with the Discover Friction Accessory, the Smart Cart’s force sensor lets students study the real-time onset of static and kinetic friction as various trays are towed. The set includes three hollow, friction trays – each with a different material along the bottom (felt, cork, or plastic).
Students simply attach a friction tray to the Smart Cart’s hook and collect data as it’s pulled from point A to point B. They can create live plots of frictional force vs. velocity, study the effect of adding mass, and easily compare the amount of static and kinetic friction produced from the different tray materials.
 |
Use the Discover Friction Accessory to perform these free experiments! |
If you like the simplicity of the above experiment, but prefer a more space-conscious solution, then check out our classic Friction Block. It also attaches to the Smart Cart's force sensor, but consists of a single wooden block with a felt-covered bottom, rather than interchangeable trays. Students can take turns adding Cart Masses to the friction block and collecting data as its pulled down the track to develop a deeper understanding of static and kinetic friction.
 |
Try it with these free physics labs!
|
Sails make great physics accessories. Not only are they easy for students to use (and for you to store!), but they can be used in a variety of demos and labs.
This set of Car Sails comes with three sail sizes and a bracket that connects them to any PASCO dynamics cart. It’s designed to help students explore the relationship between surface area and terminal velocity, but it’s also great for studies of friction and air resistance. The Fan Sail also works well with the Smart Cart if you’re looking for something sturdier.
Students can collect live velocity data as the Smart Cart moves with and without the sail; then compare the plots to determine the proportional relationship between frictional force and cart velocity.
 |
Perform this demo and lab! |
If you have metal dynamics tracks, consider studying friction with the Magnetic Damping Accessory. It’s durable, inexpensive, and 100% magnet-driven, so you won’t have to worry about charging another device.
The Magnetic Damping Accessory attaches to the Smart Cart’s magnetic bumper and induces magnetic drag when the cart moves along a metal track. Students can take turns pushing the cart and collecting data as they discover that the magnetic drag is roughly proportional to the speed of the cart. They can also raise or lower the magnets to explore how the magnetic drag changes graphically.
 |
Perform these free physics labs! |
The Wireless Smart Cart is protected under U.S. Patent No. 10,481,173.
