Drop Tower Physics II

Abstract

Drop Tower Physics (DTP) is composed of a set of experiments using standard physics lecture demonstration equipment, such as a pendulum, mass spring oscillator, and so forth, while videotaping them as they fall freely in the Dryden Drop Tower in Portland, OR. An article published in The Physics Teacher illustrated the behavior of a floating cork ball, a ball rotating inside a bowl, and a conical pendulum as their behavior changes as the acceleration due to gravity artificially transitions to zero in the non-inertial frame of reference in the drop box. This second paper is a result of dropping a mass spring oscillator, gyroscope, and chaotic pendulum. These experiments and their physical explanations are so interesting, surprising, and useful for classroom activities and discussions that they are all posted for your use on the “Drop Tower Physics” YouTube channel. Ask your students how these examples in the videos will behave when “g” transitions to zero. They will light up with excitement, ponder the possible theoretical outcomes, test those predictions with their knowledge of fundamental physics laws and principles, and then be delighted or intrigued when their prediction is correct or drastically wrong when viewing the experimental aspect of DTP videos. There are many experimental examples and explanations in the videos, but because the mass spring oscillator, the gyroscope, and the chaotic pendulum are very rich in physics theory, these explanations are given below in greater detail.