Equipment
Introduction:
In this lab you will investigate the motion of an object undergoing a centripetal acceleration caused by a centripetal force. We will use the apparatus pictured below. A rubber stopper is tied to a string, which is then fed through a tube, and a 50g mass hanger is hung onto the end. You hold onto the tube, and rotate the rubber stopper in a horzontal circle (above your head, be careful not to hit things!) The mass hanger creates the tension in the string, hence the centripetal force that allows you to rotate the stopper. The stopper undergoes centripetal acceleration. The alligator clip is just used as a marker, attached just below the tube so that you can tell the string is not moving up or down.
