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Mechanics

1M40.41 – Ballistic Pendulum

This demonstration illustrates conservation of energy. The launcher stores potential energy, which is then converted to kinetic energy via the ball. The ball transfers this energy to the pendulum. By measuring the height reached by the pendulum, the potential energy can be calculated.

1D15.17 – Ball roller

This demonstration illustrates how the ball has no “memory” of its initial direction of travel. We see the movement of the ball as it leaves the roller is perpendicular to the initial direction of travel.

1J30.20 – Tension in a string

This demonstration shows how the forces are balanced, as the Newton meter should stay stationary as the masses are increased, and should show the sum of the forces created by the masses, demonstrating the tension in the string.

1Q50.23 – Precessing bike wheel

This demonstration shows Gyroscopic precession, which is a phenomenon that arises when a torque is applied to a spinning wheel (in an axis other than the one the wheel is spinning around). Because not all parts of the wheel are equidistant to the axis of the torque, the coriolis effect causes a torque in the 3rd axis, inducing a rotation. This rotation then induces a counter-torque in the original axis, keeping the wheel horizontal. This also explains why the wheel drops down once the precession is stopped.