Activities for the Wireless Dynamics Sensor System - Vernier ...

Activities for the Wireless Dynamics Sensor SystemTEACHER INFORMATIONNewton’s Third Law1. This experiment may not take a full lab period; it is intended as a short in-classactivity to clarify an often-misunderstood law. You may want to combine it with aNewton’s second law experiment.2. Be careful that students do not pull too hard on the Force Sensors.3. This activity may be the first in which students calibrate a sensor, so you may need todevote time to understanding that process.4. A push is positive for one sensor and negative for the other. Having the signs invertedis helpful in this activity, since the sensors are held facing one another. With oppositesigns, a force to the right is read as the same sign on each sensor, so the two sensorsshare a single sign convention.ANSWERS TO PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS1. The bug exerts the same magnitude force on the windshield as the windshield exertson the bug. The directions are opposite.2. The right hand exerts a force on the left via the rubber band and visa versa; the twoforces are in opposite directions.3. Yes, increasing the force exerted by one hand increases the force exerted by the other.4. The force exerted by the left hand is the same magnitude but the opposite direction asthe force exerted by the right.SAMPLE RESULTSANSWERS TO ANALYSIS QUESTIONS1. The magnitudes are the same but the directions are opposite. This is true regardless of© 2007 - Vernier Software & Technology 37