Learning physics by experiment: VI. Angular momentum

A critical piece of medical equipment for use in trauma environments has an inherent, and yet necessary, mechanical instability in its design. This instability can pose danger to operators of the equipment if certain safety measures are not observed; however, it is not always possible to implement every precaution in the high-risk settings usually associated with life-threatening emergencies. The author has direct experience of how the subject equipment is employed during pre-hospital care by first responders, including being present when the equipment caused injury even before it was needed. Application of fundamental principles in this research enables the dynamic properties of the equipment to be calculated with basic calculus and algebra, with the latter being particularly extensive. The behavior of the equipment under recommended procedures is then analyzed to produce a baseline performance, against which the response of the equipment in adverse circumstances is compared. As with other studies conducted throughout this innovative series[1], powerful techniques for superior student understanding are developed from the real world in a manner that transcends the most creative examples in standard textbooks.

[1] see ref [2-7] in “Learning physics by experiment: IV. Kinematics”