Add the Rotational Inertia Accessory to a PASCO Rotary Motion Sensor (PS-3220 or PS-2120) to study the rotational inertia of a disk, a steel ring, and point masses.
- 1x Ring And Disk Set
- 1x Pendulum Accessory
- 1x Super Pulley with Clamp
See the Buying Guide for this item's required, recommended, and additional accessories.
Product Summary
Add the Rotational Inertia Accessory to any PASCO Rotary Motion Sensor to study the oscillations of a pendulum, the rotational inertia of a disk, a steel ring and a metal rod, as well as the conservation of momentum during a rotational collision. The Clamp-On Super Pulley allows students to apply a torque by hanging a mass over the pulley.
Conservation of Angular Momentum
To demonstrate conservation of angular momentum, a non-rotating ring is dropped onto a rotating disk. The angular velocity of the disk is recorded in real time, and students can easily determine the angular velocities of the disk just before and after the ring is dropped. By combining the velocities with the rotational inertia of the disk and ring, students can confirm that angular momentum is conserved.
Coupled Pendulums
Couple two pendulums with a rubber band and plot the Position vs. Time for each pendulum. The result is a vivid example of energy transfer between the pendulums.
Large Amplitude Pendulum
By placing one mass on each end of the tube, the pendulum will oscillate slowly. Students will have time to view the motion of the pendulum, while also watching the real-time graph of displacement, velocity, and acceleration vs. time. The period can be measured as a function of the amplitude of the pendulum and compared to theory.
What's Included
Product Specifications
| Disk Mass | 100 g |
| Ring Mass | 100 g |
| Disk Diameter | 8.9 cm |
| Ring Diameter | 8.9 cm O.D., 8.4 cm I.D. |
| Rod Mass | 28 g |
| Rod Dimensions | 0.8 cm diameter, 38 cm long |
| Brass Masses | 75 g |
| Alignment Guide Mass | 2 g |
Buying Guide
| Requires One Of These | P/N | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless Rotary Motion Sensor | PS-3220 | -- |
| PASPORT Rotary Motion Sensor | PS-2120A | -- |
| Also Available | P/N | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ring And Disk Set | ME-3419 | -- |
| Pendulum Accessory | ME-8969 | -- |
| Super Pulley with Clamp | ME-9448B | -- |
Experiment Library
Perform the following experiments and more with the Rotational Inertia Accessory.
Visit PASCO's Experiment Library to view more activities.
Conservation of Angular Momentum
A disk is dropped onto a rotating disk. The initial angular momentum is compared to the final angular momentum, and the initial kinetic energy is compared to the final kinetic energy.
Rotational Kinetic Energy
This lab investigates the potential and kinetic energies for a modified Atwood's Machine, where a disk has been added to the Rotary Motion Sensor pulley.
Rotational Dynamics
Students use hanging masses to apply torque to a rotating arm and measure its angular acceleration. After varying the torque, they experimentally determine the mathematical relationship between net torque and angular acceleration.
Physical Pendulum
A rod and a disk oscillate as a physical pendulum. The periods are measured directly by the Rotary Motion Sensor, and the values are compared to the theoretical periods calculated from the dimensions of the pendula.
Physical Pendulum Minimum Period
The period of a physical pendulum is measured with its mass in various positions. Starting with the mass furthest from the pivot gives a long period. However, if you move the mass up close to the pivot, the period will be very...
Variable-g Pendulum
A pendulum is constrained to oscillate in a plane tilted at an angle from the vertical. This effectively reduces the acceleration due to gravity because the restoring force is decreased. The Acceleration Sensor is fastened to...
Newton's Second Law for Rotation
A torque is applied to point masses on a rod mounted on a Rotary Motion Sensor and the resulting angular acceleration is measured and the rotational inertia of the object is calculated. The radius of rotation of the point masses...
Rotational Inertia
The purpose of this experiment is to find the rotational inertia of a ring and a disk experimentally and to verify that these values correspond to the calculated theoretical values.
Large Amplitude Pendulum
This experiment explores the oscillatory motion of a physical pendulum for both small and large amplitudes. Waveforms are examined for angular displacement, velocity and acceleration, and the dependence of the period of a pendulum...
Rotational Inertia
A known torque is applied to the three-step pulley on the Rotary Motion Sensor, causing a disk and ring to rotate. The resulting angular acceleration is measured using the slope of a graph of angular velocity versus time. The...
Newton’s Second Law for Rotation
Newton's Second Law for rotation: The resulting angular acceleration (α) of an object is directly proportional to the net torque (τ) on that object. The hanging mass applies a torque to the shaft of the Rotary Motion Sensor...
Conservation of Angular Momentum
A non-rotating ring is dropped onto a rotating disk. The angular speed is measured immediately before the drop and after the ring stops sliding on the disk. The measurements are repeated with a non-rotating disk being dropped...
Support Documents
| Manuals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rotational Inertia Accessory Kit Instruction Sheet | English - 247.10 KB | |
| Super Pulley with Clamp Manual | English - 243.18 KB | |
