Central Forces: Airplane

Photo and video show the demonstration used at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Concepts Conveyed:

• Centripetal force and acceleration.
• The basic mathematical relationship between radius of the orbit and the speed of the orbit.

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Instructions / Notes:

• Turn the switch of the airplane on and push into a circular motion to get it started. It may take a few tries.

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Demo Staff Notes:

• Clamp the base to one end of the table using a C-clamp. Make sure the table is large enough for the circumference of the airplane's path and that it will not hit anything when in flight.
• Unscrewing the hexagon-socket on top of the rod can be used to adjust the horizontal rod to determine the circumference of the orbit that the airplane takes. The shorter the rod length, the smaller the circumference.
  • Make sure to re-tighten the hexagon-socket once done with adjusting the length.
• Loop the free end of the string that is attached to the airplane into the hole in the white attachment protruding from the black circular attachment at the end of the horizontal rod.
• Once the string is looped through the hole, tie a simple knot to secure the airplane. Make sure the length of the string is such that the airplane can travel in a full circle without being obstructed.
  • Test the airplane to make sure the knot will not come loose when in flight.

Last updated on October 4, 2024