Demonstrations

Brachistochrone

Code Number :	1D15.50
Disclaimer:	Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website. The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources. Further information regarding legal liability in use of demonstrations and labs will be found on the web site Injuries in School/College Laboratories in USA. The University of Iowa Disclaimers: U of Iowa Disclaimer All Rights Reserved.
Condition :	Excellent
Principle :	Path lengths and velocities
Area of Study :	Mechanics
Equipment :	Brachistochrone.
Procedure :	The balls will start and end at the same height. The route is different and hence the time that the ball takes will be different also. Using the carbon paper will enable you to show that the balls have the same energy when they leave the track.

References

Letters to the Editor, "Comment on "Rolling Ball"", TPT, Vol. 46, # 2, Feb. 2008, p. 70.

Letters to the Editor, "Hewitt's Response", TPT, Vol. 46, # 2, Feb. 2008, p. 70.

Figuring Physics, TPT, Vol. 45, # 9, Dec. 2007, p. 565.

Figuring Physics, TPT, Vol. 37, # 7, p. 423, (Oct. 1999).

Asif Shakur and Andrew Pica, "On An Ambiguous Demonstration," TPT, Vol. 35, # 5, p. 316 - 317, (May 1997).

G. E. Hite, "Real-World Constraints", TPT, Vol. 35, # 6, Sept. 1997, p. 324.

D. Figueroa, G. Gutierrez, and C. Fehr, "Demonstrating the Brachistochrone and Tautochrone," TPT, Vol. 35, # 8, p. 494 - 498, (Nov. 1997).

William J. Leonard and William J. Gerace, "The Power of Simple Reasoning", TPT, Vol. 34, # 5, May 1996, p. 280.

Alan Cromer, "An Unusual Rolling-Sphere Phenomenon", TPT, Vol. 34, # 1, Jan. 1996, p. 48.

Dale T. Hoffman, "A Cycloid Race," TPT, Vol. 29, # 6, p. 395, (Sept. 1991).

Joanne Langabee, "Additional Uses for High Road/Low Road", TPT, Vol. 29, # 4, Apr. 1991, p. 196.

Kevin J. Tillotson, "Who Will Win the Race, II?", TPT, Vol. 28, # 8, Nov. 1990, p. 537.

Earl Zwicker, "High Road/Low Road," TPT, Vol. 27, # 4, p. 293, (April 1989).

"Figuring Physics", TPT, Vol. 27, # 8, Nov. 1989, p. 640.

Julius Sumner Miller, "Further to The Brachistochrone", TPT, Vol. 24, # 5, May 1986, p. 262.

John Bozovsky, Father John Milton, "Acceleration", TPT, Vol. 24, # 6, Sept. 1986, p. 356.

R. D. Edge, "The Brachistochrone - or, The Longer Way Round May be the Quickest Way Home", TPT, Vol. 23, # 6, Sept. 1985, p. 372 - 373.

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr., "Time of Descent Apparatus (Photo)", AJP, Vol. 72, # 12, Dec. 2004, p. 1500.

S. E. Joens, T. M. Antatnackovic, M. Dehn, "Remarks on the Brachistochrone with Viscous Friction", AJP, Vol. 56, # 8, Aug. 1988, p. 758.

H. A. Yamani and A. A. Mulhem, "A Cylindrical Variation on the Brachistochrone Problem", AJP, Vol. 56, # 5, May 1988, p. 467.

David G. Stork and Ju-xing Yang, "The General Unrestrained Brachistochrone", AJP, Vol. 56, # 1, Jan. 1988, p. 22.

Letters to the Editor, "Problem: "The Unrestrained Tachistos," AJP, Vol. 55, No. 4, April 1987.

Ju-xing Yang, David G. Stork, and David Galloway, "The Rolling Unrestrained Brachistochrone", AJP, Vol. 55, # 9, Sept. 1987, p. 844.

N. Ashby, W. E. Brittin, W. F. Love, W. Wyss, "Brachistochrone With Coulomb Friction", AJP, Vol. 43, # 10, Oct. 1975, p. 902.

M- 418: "High Road-Low Road," DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.

M-14a: Wallace A. Hilton, Physics Demonstration Experiments.

"233, The Unrestrained Brachistochrone," Christopher P. Jargodzki and Franklin Potter, Mad About Physics, p. 92, 228.

Brian Holton, "Go Big or Go Home," PIRA Newsletter, Vol. 11, Number 1, (1996).

R. D. Edge, "Experiment 1.53," String & Sticky Tape Experiments.

Robert Ehrlich, "Path of Least Time," Turning the World Inside Out, p. 65.

Mail Questions and Comments to: Dale Stille