Logger Pro Experiments post 2

This post is dedicated to some of the experiments that can be run using LoggerPro along with the sensors that come with it. To collect this data, I used a portable LabQuest with different sensors.
Experiment 1 - Elevator
Have you ever experienced a second of weightlessness while riding an elevator. Using a force plate, one measure acceleration that one experiences while in an elevator. In order to do this lab, students will get on an elevator. One student will stand on the force plate and then let the LabQuest record the data throughout the journey.

Data from elevator trip

The data here is from riding the elevator in the Eyring Science Center elevator from the first floor up to the fourth floor and back again. In order to find the accelerations that are taking place in the elevator, students would need to identify different items on the graph. Using the statistics tool, students can select a portion of the graph where there is no change in the force to find out what the weight of the person standing on the scale is. Using that value, you can find that persons mass by dividing that person's weight by gravity(9.8 meters per second squared). Next step is to find the maximum value of the force while going up. LoggerPro tells us that the maximum value is 1150N. Take the difference and divide it by the mass of the person and you have the acceleration of the elevator.
Experiment 2 - Charging a Capacitor

Potential difference and Current Measured in a Capacitor during the charging Phase.

A capacitor is an electrical component that stores electrical charge. In order to complete this lab, one uses a LabQuest with a current sensor and voltage probe. The current sensor is set up to measure the current flowing through one of the wires. Since the circuit that I set up was a circuit that had all of its components in series, the current will be the same throughout. The voltage probes were set up to measure across the capacitor. Upon obtaining a graph such as this, it would allow a great opportunity to examine what occurred in the circuit as time passed. 

First we shall examine the voltage. Initially the voltage across the capacitor is zero because it hasn't stored any charge. As the capacitor charges, it begins to equal the voltage output of the battery. Eventually the capacitor is fully charged and matches the battery in terms of voltage. 

Now this leads us to examine what is happening with the current in the circuit. Initially the circuit flows freely, but as the capacitor charges, the voltage drop becomes less and less. Thus the current becomes smaller until it reaches a point in which it is nearly nonexistent. An illustration of this phenomenon will be shown by a light bulb that decreases in brightness over time.

Experiment 3 - Push-up 

Another item that can be done is measuring the force that exerted during a pushup. This is an example of measuring an everyday phenomenon. 

Push-up measured using a force sensor

It is interesting to note that initially, there is a drop in force when a person drops down in their push-up and then there is a large amount of force required to raise up again. This would be a simple lab and allow students to get an idea of how they can exert a force on something.