PURPOSE: To demonstrate uniform acceleration in a rolling body.
DESCRIPTION: The wheel is released from rest and rolls down the inclined parallel track with a small acceleration. When the end of the track is placed on the first step, the linear acceleration of the wheel is about 0.05 cm/sec/sec. Times can be measured for various distances to show that a = 2s / t^2 is a constant.
SUGGESTIONS:
REFERENCES: (PIRA unavailable.) See Demonstration Reference File for further information.
EQUIPMENT: Wheel, track, level, and manually-controlled electronic timer.
SETUP TIME: One hour (must be obtained from Elementary Labs).