Springs & Weights or Bucket & Springs



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 Code Number :   1G20.40  

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.

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Condition :   Good  
Principle :   Absence of friction in freefall.
Area of Study :  Mechanics   
Equipment :   Two large blocks of equal size, connecting spring, Plywood shelf, Styrofoam block.

 

Procedure :   Connect the two blocks with the spring and spread them apart to the ends of the shelf.  This leaves the spring under tension but the blocks do not move together because of the friction.  Lift the shelf and everything on it and drop it onto the foam pad.  As it drops, the spring will pull the blocks together as there is no friction during freefall.

Stretch the elastic string so that the tennis balls hangs over the edge of the bucket.  Hold the bucket up high, drop it, and then catch it about waist high.  You will observe that immediately after you release the bucket and it achieves freefall, the tennis balls will be pulled back into the bucket by the elastic. 

 

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   References

Jeffrey C. LaCombe and Matthew B. Koss, "The Make-It-Yourself Drop-Tower Microgravity Demonstrator", TPT, Vol. 38, # 3, Mar. 2000, p. 143.

John A. McClelland, "Simulating Microgravity", TPT, Vol. 38, # 6, Sept. 2000, p. 328.

Howard Pearlmas, Dennis Stocker, Daniel Gotti, David Urban, Howard Ross, and Thomas Sours", TPT, Vol. 34, # 3, Mar. 1996, p. 172.

S. K. Chakarvarti, "A Demonstration on Weightlessness", TPT, Vol. 16, # 6, Sept. 1978, p. 391.

 

Ken Zetie, "Dieting Isn't The Only Way To Lose Weight", Physics Education, Vol. 39, (1), Jan. 2004, p. 37.



Mail Questions and Comments to:  Dale Stille