A Meter Stick Torsion Oscillator

ORAL

Abstract

This paper discusses a simple experiment in which torsion oscillations are set up in a pivoted meter stick that is balanced by a weight on one side of the axis of rotation and a stretched spring on the other side. By varying the torques applied to the mass-meter-stick-spring system, a non-conventional torsion oscillator can be studied and an expression for the effective torsion constant derived from application of Newton's second law. A rotary motion sensor serves as the axis about which the oscillating rotations occur.

–

Authors

  • Ken Taylor

    Lake Highlands High School

  • Dan Suson

    Chairman, STW Committee, South Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society, Texas Instruments, Region 9 Education Service Center, Montgomery High School, Texas A and M University, Texas Regional Collaborative, Lake Highlands High School, Department of Physics, Sam Houston State University, Texas Texas U.- Biological Science, JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India, Purdue University at Calumet, TSAPS President, TSAAPT President, University of Texas Pan American, UTSA

  • Dan Suson

    Chairman, STW Committee, South Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society, Texas Instruments, Region 9 Education Service Center, Montgomery High School, Texas A and M University, Texas Regional Collaborative, Lake Highlands High School, Department of Physics, Sam Houston State University, Texas Texas U.- Biological Science, JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India, Purdue University at Calumet, TSAPS President, TSAAPT President, University of Texas Pan American, UTSA

  • Dan Suson

    Chairman, STW Committee, South Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society, Texas Instruments, Region 9 Education Service Center, Montgomery High School, Texas A and M University, Texas Regional Collaborative, Lake Highlands High School, Department of Physics, Sam Houston State University, Texas Texas U.- Biological Science, JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India, Purdue University at Calumet, TSAPS President, TSAAPT President, University of Texas Pan American, UTSA