It is possible that when using the Cart Picket Fence (PF-CART), a photogate will detect the edges of the (clear) plastic picket fence and not just the black bars. We have done some testing and here is what we found:
We see this problem sometimes...
Spectrum Tubes (ST-AIR)
Spectrum Tubes (ST-AR)
Spectrum Tubes (ST-CO2)
Spectrum Tubes (ST-H)
Spectrum Tubes (ST-HE)
Spectrum Tubes (ST-NE)
Spectrum Tubes (ST-N)
TROUBLESHOOTING
- Primary Test: Insert the spectrum tube in the Power Supply (Single or ...
Parker Moreland did an excellent analysis on measuring g with a photogate and suggests a procedure for minimizing error. This article also includes a formula and chart for calculating a local value for gravitational acceleration.
"Improving precis...
When you first connect a photogate, the associated sensor meter shown in the software should read "Unblocked" or 0. You can test the photogate by fanning your fingers and passing them through the gate. The indicator LED on the photogate will light ea...
Yes. We have tested this with the Green Diffraction Laser (GDL-DAK) and it effectively activates the photogate's photo-transistor.
A Class 2 laser is generally considered safe as the blink reflex will limit exposure to short time periods. Direct ...
This has not been empirically tested at Vernier. But we are rather confident that a photogate should not be used for tests like this. High speed video is a much better solution that is both easier to set up and is a bit safer for the user.
We rec...
Check the position of the sliding shutter on the inside of the photogate. Since the shutter is black, it is easy to miss its position. The shutter slides back and forth to block the phototransistor on the inside of the gate. If the inside of the gat...
In warm, humid environments, the steel balls included with the Vernier Projectile Launcher (VPL) and Go Direct Projectile Launcher (GDX-PL) can corrode as they are not stainless steel. Since the balls need to fit very precisely in the barrel of the l...
If your projectile launcher photogates always reads unblocked or blocked, here are a few things to check:
Clean the barrel of the launcher with a strong gust of compressed air. Dust or debris may be affecting the embedded photogate.
Take the ...
High-speed or high-frame-rate videos are useful for analyzing the motion of objects that move too quickly to capture sufficient frames for analysis in standard 30 frame-per-second videos.
The Camera app on some mobile devices makes it possible t...