Experiment set MECHANICS 3

Photogates and digital timer

The attractive centrepiece of the MECHANICS 3 and MECHANICS 3 plus experiment sets is formed by the two photogates, which allow experiments in kinematics, dynamics, energy and mechanical oscillations to be carried out especially easily and accurately. They save enormous amounts of time, too.

The timer can be used for recording and simultaneously displaying up to three different measurements on a single movement, accurate to the millisecond. The display remains in place long enough for the readings to be entered into tables. A reset button then enables the next measurement. Otherwise, the timer automatically switches to stand-by mode after 60 seconds.

Two AA batteries mean that the timer does not need to be plugged in. The photogates can either be free-standing or set up in highly variable ways with the help of the supplied holder.

Acceleration due to gravity and universal track

• The light barriers make determining acceleration due to gravity particularly easy and understandable. A falling steel ball and an identically sized wooden ball both lead to the same results, clearly demonstrating that that the acceleration due to gravity does not depend on the mass of the falling body
• The track is used here both as a track and as a stand. It is not included in the set.