PASCO SF-9297 COUPLED HARMONIC OSCILLATORS - Manual

Instruction Sheet
for the PASCO
Model SF-9297
COUPLED HARMONIC OSCILLATORS
012-02883D
12/92
$1.00
Phone (916) 786-3800 • FAX (916) 786-8905 • TWX 910-383-2040
10101 Foothills Blvd. • P.O. Box 619011 • Roseville, CA 95678-9011 USA
better
teach physics
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Glider
Spring
Connector
Adjustable
Endstop Banana Plug*
Spring
Fixed
Endstop
(Not Drawn to Scale)
Hose to
Blower
Introduction
The PASCO Model SF-9297 Coupled Harmonic
Oscillators adapts your PASCO Air Track for the
study of harmonic motion. You can link up to five air
track gliders together for a study of coupled harmonic
motion, or you can use a single glider with one or
more springs for a detailed, quantitative study of
simple harmonic motion.
The Model SF-9297 Coupled Harmonic
Oscillator Kit includes:
• 3 Air Track Gliders
(2 also included with the air track)
• 6 Additional Masses
(4 also included with the air track)
• 6 Springs
• 12 Spring Connectors
• 1 Adjustable Endstop
*Note: Plugs also come with washers, screws,
and solder lugs. These are not part of the experi-
ment and can be disregarded.
Setting Up the Oscillators
The basic setup for the Harmonic Oscillators is shown
above. First set up the air track and level it as de-
scribed in the air track manual. Then couple the
gliders as shown. The banana plug end of the Spring
Connectors plugs directly into the top hole on the side
of the gliders, and also into the hole in the fixed
endstop (included with the air track) and the adjustable
endstop.
Turn on the blower and adjust the air volume to the
minimum level so the gliders float freely on the track.
If you are using photogate timers, you can easily adjust
them to time the motion of the gliders—the pendulum
mode is particularly useful for measuring the period of
the oscillations. You may find it convenient to use
tape and cardboard to attach a flag to the top of the
glider you wish to monitor. This will give you a
narrower trigger for the photogate.
Simple harmonic motion is easily studied using a
single glider as shown in the following illustration.
The rubber band bumper, supplied with the air track,
allows you to connect one or two springs to the glider,
to examine the effects of variation in spring constant.
A hanging weight, using the pulley supplied with the
air track, will provide a constant force to maintain
tension on the springs.