Acceleration on an Air Track
Safety Warnings
Warning: Electrical Connections
Purpose
A tilted air track with photogates measures transit times to demonstrate uniform acceleration. The glider takes the same time through each photogate on the way up as on the way down, illustrating time-reversal symmetry in conservative systems.
Figure 1:
The inclined air track with two photogates and digital timing displays. Wooden blocks elevate one end, and yellow position markers along the track provide distance references.
Figure 2:
Photogate displays during a run showing different transit times at each gate — the shorter time at the lower gate indicates higher velocity, confirming acceleration down the incline.
Equipment
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