Innovative Uses of Vernier Technology

While performing an experiment from the Physics with Vernier lab book, “Energy of a Tossed Ball,” Kathy Morello and her students from St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, LA found some perplexing results. In the experiment, a Motion Detector is used to measure the position and velocity of a ball tossed vertically. The relative quantities of gravitational potential energy…

Subjects: Physics

Using a Go!Link, the Instrumentation Amplifier, and Logger Pro software Students at Madonna High School, in Weirton, WV, recently applied Vernier hardware and software to the task of locating a massive black hole believed to exist at the center of our galaxy. Using a short wave radio, some custom circuitry, the Vernier Instrumentation Amplifier, a Go!Link and Vernier Logger Pro software, students were…

Subjects: Physics

This quick experiment is great for National Chemistry Week and celebrating Mole Day! OBJECTIVES In this experiment, you will use an electrolytic cell to determine Avogadro’s number. MATERIALS Computer and Vernier computer interface or LabQuest Logger Pro 3 or LabQuest App Vernier Current Probe 3.0 volt DC power supply Four connecting wires with alligator clips…

Subjects: Chemistry

By Richard G. Born, Northern Illinois University, Operations Management and Information Systems Increasing interest in going “green” by the use of alternative energy sources makes the study of solar energy especially suitable for students of physics. Solar panel systems on rooftops can cost thousands of dollars with payback periods on the order of decades. Yet…

Subjects: Physics

Jeffrey Wetherhold from Parkland High School, Allentown, PA makes extensive use of video in his physics class. When experiments are difficult to create for the classroom, he has his students collect and analyze data using the video analysis feature of Logger Pro. He recently sent us an activity that he uses with his students. He…

Subjects: Physics

As the cost of energy rises, nearly everyone is looking at ways to improve their homes energy efficiency, and reduce their energy use and costs. Our project focused on finding a method to utilize the roof of a home to be an integral part of the energy system of a home. Model houses built for…

Subjects: Physics

Vacuum sealer with Vernier Gas Pressure Sensor connected We sometimes use an inexpensive vacuum sealer here at our offices. I was curious about the pressures involved, and whether these could be used as an alternative to expensive vacuum pumps in the science lab. We put a partially inflated balloon in the sealer and ran it.…

Subjects: Physical Science

In the book What Einstein Told His Barber, by Robert L. Wolke, there is a section discussing champagne, soda, and pressure. He says, “If I said that shaking a bottle of champagne, beer, or pop raises the gas pressure inside, 99 out of 100 people, even chemists and physicists, would agree. But it’s not true.”…

Subjects: Physics

Wine pumps If you have a partially finished bottle of wine and you want to prevent the wine from oxidizing, you can use a wine pump. Many different styles are sold. They are usually hand-powered pumps that are used to lower the pressure in a wine bottle so there is less oxygen in the bottle.…

Subjects: Physical Science

A Fizz Keeper is a device that is sold to preserve the carbonation in soft drinks. We decided to see if they really work at maintaining pressure in bottles. We used a special soda bottle to which we attached tubing to connect to our Gas Pressure Sensor. We opened a bottle of soda, poured the…

Subjects: Physical Science