This paper describes a further experiment using the acceleration sensor of a smartphone. For a previous column on this topic, including the description of the operation and use of the acceleration sensor, see Ref. 1. In this contribution we focus on analyzing simple pendulum phenomena. A smartphone is used as a pendulum bob, and SPARKvue2 software is used in conjunction with an iPhone or an iPod touch, or the Accelogger3 app for an Android device. As described in Ref. 1, the values measured by the smartphone are subsequently exported to a spreadsheet application (e.g., MS Excel) for analysis.
During the last few years, the growing boom of smartphones has given rise to a considerable number of applications exploiting the functionality of the sensors incorporated in these devices. A sector that has unexpectedly taken advantage of the power of these tools is physics teaching, as reflected in several recent papers.1–10 In effect, the use of smartphones has been proposed in several physics experiments spanning mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, oscillations, and waves, among other subjects. Although mechanical experiments have received considerable attention, most of them are based on the use of the accelerometer.1–8 An aspect that has received less attention is the use of rotation sensors or gyroscopes.9,10 An additional advance in the use of these devices is given by the possibility of obtaining data using the accelerometer and the gyroscope simultaneously. The aim of this paper is to consider the relation between the centripetal acceleration and the angular velocity. Instead of using a formal laboratory setup, in this experiment a smartphone is attached to the floor of a merry-go-round, found in many playgrounds. Several experiments were performed with the roundabout rotating in both directions and with the smart-phone at different distances from the center. The coherence of the measurements is shown.
This paper describes how different sound types can be explored using the microphone of a smartphone and a suitable app. Vibrating bodies, such as strings, membranes, or bars, generate air pressure fluctuations in their immediate vicinity, which propagate through the room in the form of sound waves. Depending on the triggering mechanism, it is possible to differentiate between four types of sound waves: tone, sound, noise, and bang. In everyday language, non-experts use the terms “tone” and “sound” synonymously; however, from a physics perspective there are very clear differences between the two terms. This paper presents experiments that enable learners to explore and understand these differences. Tuning forks and musical instruments (e.g., recorders and guitars) can be used as equipment for the experiments. The data are captured using a smartphone equipped with the appropriate app (in this paper we describe the app Audio Kit for iOS systems1). The values captured by the smartphone are displayed in a screen shot and then viewed directly on the smartphone or exported to a computer graphics program for printing.
This paper describes two further pendulum experiments using the acceleration sensor of a smartphone in this column (for earlier contributions concerning this topic, including the description of the operation and use of the acceleration sensor, see Refs. 1 and 2). In this paper we focus on analyzing spring pendulum phenomena. Therefore two spring pendulum experiments will be described in which a smartphone is used as a pendulum body and SPARKvue3 software is used in conjunction with an iPhone or an iPod touch, or the Accelogger4 app for an Android device.1,2 As described in Ref. 1, the values measured by the smartphone are subsequently exported to a spreadsheet application (e.g., MS Excel) for analysis.
This paper continues the sequence of experiments using the acceleration sensor of smartphones (for description of the function and the use of the acceleration sensor, see Ref. 1) within this column, in this case for analyzing the radial acceleration.
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