Kinematics

Write up for an open-ended "popper" lab in which students use their kinematic equations to determine the launch velocity of a popper toy.
 
Popper toys can be found in a variety of places such as Amazon, CVS and Wal-Mart, as well as Oriental Trading.
CVS Spring Toys item number is SKU# 439412, bar code 50428 06656, "Spring Up & Catch Game", $2.99 each or 2/$5
Walmart item number is #ES-41035, 6 to a package for $2.98, called the "Sport Pop-Up Game", bar code 79940 41035

Students use their knowledge of acceleration and kinematic equations to find the acceleration of two different balls rolling down an incline.  A nice "early lab activity" following introduction of the kinematic equations to get students a hands-on application of their problem-solving principles as well as continued development of general measurement and lab procedures.

Students are presented a d-t graph and asked to create the corresponding v-t graph and formulate an appropriate story around it. Then they are given a v-t graph, asked to produce a corresponding d-t graph, and formulate an appropriate story.

This lab is designed to permit students to become comfortable with the PASCO interface and associated software. In addition, displacement versus time graphs are introduced and analyzed.

This is a motion sensor lab in which students are exposed to the idea of linear velocity. More specifically, it's designed to introduce them that the velocity sign indicates direction.

This is a basic motion detector lab in which a cart is released from a standing position , allowed to roll down an inclined plane, hit a magnetic bumper, rebound back a bit, and repeat. Graphs of displacement, velocity, and acceleration are analyzed.

* I've left all of my labs in word format so that the user can tailor them accordingly to suit their needs. We're in this together, after all.