A large-format view camera projects an inverted, real image of a carbon filament lamp onto a ground glass screen. Students directly observe image formation by a converging lens and the …
A spring-loaded cart launches a ball vertically while rolling down an incline. The ball lands back in the cart's funnel, showing that both share the same gravitational acceleration component along …
Demonstrates that mass distribution, not total mass, determines rolling acceleration. A sphere beats a cylinder down a ramp; then adding large cardboard rings to the cylinder (making a spool) dramatically …
A hoop and disk of equal mass and radius race down an incline. The disk always wins because its mass is closer to the rotation axis, giving it a smaller …
Two cylinders of equal mass but different mass distributions race down a ramp. The cylinder with mass concentrated near the axis (metal core) always wins, demonstrating that moment of inertia …
Visualizes normal mode vibrations of a circular membrane using a speaker-driven soap film and optical projection. Students observe distinct nodal patterns at resonant frequencies, extending standing wave concepts from 1D …
Demonstrates that objects with identical moments of inertia accelerate identically down a ramp, regardless of differences in mass and radius. Challenges the common misconception that heavier objects roll faster.
