ERIC Number: EJ1046787
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Dec
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
A New Twist on Torque Labs
Lane, W. Brian
Physics Teacher, v52 n9 p529-531 Dec 2014
The traditional introductory-level meterstick-balancing lab assumes that students already know what torque is and that they readily identify it as a physical quantity of interest. We propose a modified version of this activity in which students qualitatively and quantitatively measure the amount of force required to keep the meterstick level. The setup for this experiment also introduces upward forces in addition to downward forces. In this very accurate experiment, the torque equation can be discerned directly from the data, and torque's symmetry between upward and downward forces naturally arises.
Descriptors: Introductory Courses, Science Education, Educational Practices, Teaching Methods, Physics, Measurement Techniques, Kinetics, Science Activities, Science Experiments, Scientific Concepts, Scientific Principles
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://scitation.aip.org/tpt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A