A stroboscopic light source for experiments in mechanics

Abstract

We propose to attach a small stroboscopic light source to a moving object and connect the source to a pulse generator with the help of insulated thin flexible multi-cored wires. Students can assemble such a device independently in a school laboratory. The device can be used to obtain trajectories with time marks in students’ research projects in mechanics. In the paper we give an example of the application of stroboscopic photography in a demonstration experiment devoted to inertia.

Using a fidget spinner to teach physics

“…The idea, then, is to adjust the strobe light frequency until the spinner lobes appear stationary, as illustrated in figure 2. Stroboscopy is a technique widely used to analyze movement and with a possible adaptation to the school context [3].…”

A LED stroboscope with computer control of light flashes

“…The modern electronic stroboscope consists of a voltage pulse generator and a LED source. The article [7] describes a simple pulse generator for such a stroboscope. It can be assembled by students at the beginning of studying mechanics.…”

“…To obtain bright stroboscopic photographs it is possible to use a method considered in the paper [7]. A transparent silicone ball is used as a moving body.…”

“…The technique of obtaining, processing and using stroboscopic photographs is considered in a number of articles [3][4][5][6]. LED stroboscopes of two types are used in modern educational experiments: (1) a self-luminous stroboscope consists of a small super-bright LED fixed on a moving body [7]; (2) a stroboscopic LED lamp is made of high-power LEDs illuminating a moving body. In this paper we propose to use a laptop with a sound card and a program Adobe Audition or another program generator to control the light flashes of a stroboscope.…”

Prototyping of a Low-Cost Stroboscope to Be Applied in Condition Maintenance: An Open Hardware and Software Approach

“…The solution for this problem is the use of a stroboscope, an optical physical device that consists of the emission of blinking light in different frequencies desired, allowing the study of the velocity of an object and visualizing details of the movement that the human eyes fail to see [3]. Besides that, there is the possibility to do measurements without mechanical contact with the moving object, representing an advantage regarding traditional measurement methods [4].…”