Affordable Physics Labs: Teaching Forces & Friction with Everyday Items

[superdave]

So I'm student teaching right now in a poor school with a physics program less than 3 years old. The lab equipment is not great.

So I'm trying to set up a lab on forces, friction, etc... but there is not a lot of the stuff I'm used to using like the tape timers to measure acceleration. But we don't have those.

So what can I do on a small budget or with every day items?

 

[George Jones]

Are these of any use to you?

http://www.pasco.com/family/videopoint-physics-fundamentals/index.cfm

http://www.vernier.com/products/software/video-physics/

 

[Andy Resnick]

Since the coefficient of (kinetic) friction can be measured with an inclined plane, why not cover a board with sandpaper and have the students measure the inclination angles for a range of objects: metal, wood, plastic...

One important result is that the angle at which motion begins is independent of the weight of the sliding object.