In this article, the dynamics of a traditional toy, the yo-yo, are investigated theoretically and experimentally using smartphone sensors. In particular, using the gyroscope the angular velocity is measured. The experimental results are complemented thanks to a digital video analysis. The concordance between theoretical and experimental results is discussed. As the yo-yo is a ubiquitous, simple, and traditional toy, this simple proposal could encourage students to experiment with everyday objects and modern technologies.
The smartphone’s ambient light sensor has been used in the literature to study different physical phenomena. For instance, Malus’s law, which involves the polarized light, has been verified by using simultaneously the orientation and light sensors of a smartphone. The illuminance of point light sources has been characterized also using the light sensor of smartphones and tablets, demonstrating in this way the well-known inverse-square law of distance. Moreover, these kinds of illuminance measurements with the ambient light sensor have allowed the determination of the luminous efficiency of different quasi-point optical sources (incandescent and halogen lamps) as a function of the electric power supplied. Regarding mechanical systems, the inverse-square law of distance has also been used to investigate the speed and acceleration of a moving light source on an inclined plane or to study coupled and damped oscillations. In the present work, we go further in presenting a simple laboratory experiment using the smartphone’s ambient light sensor in order to characterize a non-point light source, a linear fluorescent tube in our case.
New learning strategies try to extend the use of common devices among students in physics lab practices. In particular, there is a recent trend to explore the possibilities of using smartphone sensors to describe physics phenomena. On the other hand, the study of the moment of inertia by the use of the torsion pendulum is a typical example in the first courses of fundamentals of physics. This example allows the exploration of harmonic motion, Newton’s second law, the moment of inertia theory, and the parallel axis theorem all in one. Here, we report the use of the accelerometer sensor of a smartphone to visualize and demonstrate the parallel axis theorem in a torsion pendulum.
The resonance phenomenon is widely known from physics courses.1 Qualitatively speaking, resonance takes place in a driven oscillating system whenever the frequency approaches the natural frequency, resulting in maximal oscillatory amplitude.Very closely related to resonance is the phenomenon of mechanical beating, which occurs when the driving and natural frequencies of the system are slightly different. The frequency of the beat is just the difference of the natural and driving frequencies.Beats are very familiar in acoustic systems. There are several works in this journal on visualizing the beats in acoustic systems. 2-4 For instance, the microphone and the speaker of two mobile devices were used in previous work 2 to analyze the acoustic beats produced by two signals of close frequencies. The formation of beats can also be visualized in mechanical systems, such as a mass-spring system 5 or a double-driven string. 6Here, the mechanical beats in a smartphone-spring system are directly visualized in a simple 1 arXiv:1605.01291v2 [physics.ed-ph]
This paper reports on the use of smartphone's sensors to perform several experiments designed to teach fundamentals of Physics. We have adapted traditional physics laboratory sessions to the use of the different sensors that can be found in a typical smartphone, such as an accelerometer, and light and magnetic field sensors. The existence of a large repository of free AndroidTM and AppleTM applications which exploit the characteristics of these sensors facilitates the design of new experiments. A survey was done to the students in order to obtain feedback and to evaluate the success of the experience. The results of the survey showed a good acceptance of this method triggering their curiosity, with an average mark of 9 over 10. This project offers to the student a new way to think on smartphones as an attractive tool for possible application in experimental measurements and scientific demonstrations and not only as a socializing tool.
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