Goniometer
Experiment
18
!
Centripetal Acceleration
5)
Look at graphs of
Angular Velocity vs. Time
and
Centripetal
Acceleration vs. Time
together.
*
How are the graphs related?
6)
The Acceleration Sensor was oriented so that acceleration toward the
elbow was measured as positive. When the angular velocity of your
arm was
positive
, was the centripetal acceleration of your hand toward
or away from your elbow?
7)
When the angular velocity of your arm was
negative
, was the
centripetal acceleration of your hand toward or away from your
elbow?
8)
Create a graph of
Centripetal Acceleration vs. Angular Velocity
.
*
The theoretical relationship between Centripetal Acceleration (
a
C
) and
Angular Velocity (
ω
) is
a
C
=
r
ω
2
, where
r
is a constant. Does your data
appear to support this relationship? Explain your reasoning.
9)
Create a graph of
a
C
versus
ω
2
. Apply a linear fit. According to the
slope of the best-fit line, what is the value of
r
(including units)?
r
=
(from best-fit line)
10)
Compare this value to the distance from your elbow to the acceleration
sensor.
*Centripetal
Acceleration is
measured by the
sensor as
“Acceleration, X.”
*Plot Centripetal
Acceleration on the
vertical axis and
Angular Velocity on
the horizontal axis.
