APP1 Equipment

List*
Equipment What is it Used For? How Does It Work? Notes and Limitations

Meter stick measuring length in meters. How to Measure ● measurements <1 mm must be estimated,
using a Meter Stick that is between the marks (uncertainty of
±0.001 m at least)
● must be moved to measure larger
than 100 cm/1 meter
● difficult to use with moving objects
● use measuring tape for larger distances
● must designate TWO positions
to measure a length, distance, or
displacement

Balance measuring the gravitational mass How to Use a ● only measures objects that can be placed
of an object in grams, kilograms, Triple Beam on the balance
etc. Balance ● all balances have an uncertainty of about
± the smallest value
● usually okay to use “known masses” and
not measure them on a balance

Spring Scale measures the gravitational force Difference Between a ● has an uncertainty of plus/minus smallest
on a hanging object (usually in Balance and a Scale value on scale
newtons) or measures pulling ● objects must hang from the hook in a
forces applied to the scale gravitational field to measure
gravitational force
● not useful for forces that change rapidly
(as in impulse experiments)

Stopwatch measures the elapsed time or How to Read and Use ● rel. large uncertainty of plus/minus 0.1
time interval an event takes in a Stopwatch s or even more
seconds. ● many events in lab take place in 1.0 s or
less, making stopwatch data unreliable
● compensate for unreliability by
measuring events multiple times and
dividing by number of events

Motion Detector continually measures the position Using a Motion ● object must ONLY move in a line
of an object relative to the Detector back and forth in front of the detector
detector. Motion detectors are ● object must be farther than 20 cm away
often connected to graphical and less than 8 m away
software to generate ● nothing else can be between the object
position-time, velocity-time, and and what it is measuring
acceleration-time graphs. ● object must be reflective (soft, squishy
things don’t work well)
● for experiment questions, you MUST
EXPLAIN the placement of the motion
detector(s) and what SPECIFIC
QUANTITIES they will measure ( a

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 diagram is best; this may require multiple
motion detectors in one experiment)

Tracks & Carts Tracks provide a low friction Track and Cart ● practical low-friction object for many
horizontal or inclined surface to System Overview experiments
study motion of carts. Carts have ● carts of known mass may be used, but if
low friction wheels and can move objects are attached, mass should be
freely along a track. This setup is measured on balance
usually supplemented by a motion ● only moves in a straight line
detector. ● include fan attachment or use mass
suspended from pulley to apply constant
force

Force Sensor Measures the amount of force Dual Range Force ● has an uncertainty related to its range
applied to the sensor in newtons. Sensor (available with different ranges from
Can measure pushes (with a very small to very large)
bumper) and pulls (with a hook). ● must connected to a computer to produce
May be used handheld, attached graphs of force and time (useful for
to a stand, attached to a cart. impulse)
● sample rate must be increased to avoid
missing brief events

Pulley Redirects the tension force in a Pulley Redirecting ● can be ignored if small, light, and low
string/rope/cable/etc. Pulleys are Force internal friction
usually considered massless and ● if large, heavy, or has friction, its
frictionless so the tension can be inertia (and its frictional torque) will
constant over the pulley. affect experimental results

Video analysis Take slow-motion (“high-speed”) Capturing ● works well if light is good, background
video of a moving object with an Position-Time Data contrasts, object is easily visible
object or objects of known size in from a Video Clip ● camera must not move or zoom
the image and examine the video ● camera must remain perpendicular to
to find position, velocity, and motion
acceleration data

Rotary Motion Measures angular position, Vernier Rotary ● can be used in linear mode
Sensor velocity, and acceleration, Motion Sensor ● relatively low uncertainty (± mm in
typically by a string passing over linear mode)
the pulley on the sensor (radians
or degrees per second)

Photogate Measures the time that the Things You Can Do ● object must pass through the photogate
photogate's infrared beam is With a Photogate perpendicular to it
interrupted as an object passes ● very little uncertainty (milliseconds)
through the photogate. ● with two photogates, you can record the
precise beginning and end of a motion
● there are attachments for photogates that
allow recordings of velocity and
acceleration (I only recommend using
these in rare circumstances)

*In answering AP1 Experimental Free-Response Questions, I would recommend sticking with the
simple and familiar where you see a way to do that. A meter stick, stopwatch, and balance can go
a long way.
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mostly by Marc Reif https://fysicsfool.worpress.com
List of useful measurement

Need to find How to find it

● Solve conservation of energy 1 𝑚𝑣 =

2
final speed of a dropped object (at the bottom ● Use meterstick to measure initial height

𝑚𝑔ℎ
of its drop)

2 𝑓 𝑖

● Solve conservation of energy 𝑚𝑔ℎ = 1

initial speed of a bouncing object (at the start ● Use meterstick to measure final height

𝑚𝑣
2
of its upward motion)

𝑓 2 𝑖

velocity, momentum, kinetic energy, before or ● Option 1: use meterstick and

after a collision stopwatch, divide to find constant
velocity of all objects before and after
collision
● Option 2: Use TWO motion detectors
at opposite ends of track to record
velocity of ALL objects before and
after collision
● Calculate momentum and kinetic
energies from velocities and mass
● Solve conservation of momentum
(and possibly conservation of
kinetic energy)
○ Totally Inelastic (one final

𝑚 𝑣 + 𝑚 𝑣 = (𝑚 + 𝑚 )𝑣'
velocity)
𝐴 𝐴 𝐵 𝐵 𝐴 𝐵
○ Elastic (two final velocities,
kinetic energy constant) or
inelastic (two final velocities,

○ 𝑚 𝑣 +𝑚 𝑣 =𝑚 𝑣 ' +𝑚 𝑣 '
kinetic energy decreased)
𝐴 𝐴 𝐵 𝐵 𝐴 𝐴 𝐵 𝐵

acceleration of any object that starts from rest ● Use a meterstick to measure
distance, stopwatch to record

● Calculate using ∆𝑥 = 1 𝑎
time 2

2
𝑡
𝑥

● Calculate using ∆𝑦 = 1 𝑔
time of flight for any dropped or horizontally- 2
● Use a meterstick to measure height
𝑡
launched object
2

spring constant ● Attach known masses to vertical spring

● Use meterstick to measure stretch
● Calculate gravitational force applied to
spring
● Plot F vs. stretch, find slope from best-fit
● slope is spring constant

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List of useful measurement
period or frequency of a rotating or oscillating ● Use stopwatch to record multiple cycles
object (10 is a good amount)
● Divide total time by number of

● If frequency is needed, 𝑓 = 1
cycles to determine period
𝑇

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maximum speed of a pendulum bob ● Calculate from initial gravitational
potential energy and kinetic energy

𝑚𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔𝐿(1 − cos θ)
2
using
1
2 𝑓

calculate using 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔
gravitational force measure mass with balance
𝑔

Tips for answering Experimental Questions

● Look at the AP Equation table to remind yourself of an equation or equation that

relates to the experimental question
● Draw a diagram to show where you’d place measuring tools or measured quantities.
● You may use “known masses,” “carts of known mass” or springs of “known spring
constant.” If you add other objects to the known masses, you better have a balance.
● Kinetic energy, potential energy, momentum and many other quantities can’t be directly
measured. You must explain how you’d calculate them from measured quantities.
● Specify that you will measure different trials, producing different ordered pairs (vary
your independent variable)
● Specify that you will repeat individual measurements and average the results to reduce
the effects of uncertainty
● Plot a graph of the independent variable vs. the dependent variable
● Linearize a non-linear graph of the independent variable vs. the dependent variable
● Determine the slope from the best-fit line, not the points
● Use the meaning (physical significance) of the slope or the intercept to answer questions

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