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Rotational Inertia Demonstrator
Item #P3-3545
$298.00
Bundle Discount
| Unit Price | $298.00 |
| 6+ | $277.00 |
Explore how mass distribution affects rotational inertia
Uncover the physics behind rotational motion with clarity and precision! Arbor Scientific’s Rotational Inertia Demonstrator transforms an abstract concept into a hands-on, measurable experience. Using a simple yet elegant design, students can explore how mass distribution, radius, and geometry affect rotational inertia — the “resistance to rotation.”
Whether you’re teaching AP Physics, Honors Physics, or introductory college mechanics, this demonstrator provides a reliable, repeatable way to investigate rotational dynamics and energy principles in real time.
Why Teachers Love the Rotational Inertia Demonstrator
- Comprehensive Learning Tool: Demonstrates the relationship between torque, angular acceleration, and moment of inertia — all in one compact apparatus.
- Hands-On Concept Mastery: Students directly manipulate mass distribution to observe — both physically and through measurable changes in angular acceleration — how it affects rotational resistance.
- Quantitative & Visual: Enables accurate measurements of rotational acceleration, kinetic energy, and angular momentum.
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What You Can Teach with the Rotational Inertia Demonstrator
The Rotational Inertia Demonstrator is your go-to system for teaching how mass and geometry affect an object’s resistance to rotational acceleration. It brings abstract equations like 𝐼=∑𝑚𝑟2 to life through direct, measurable experimentation.
With this apparatus, you can demonstrate:
- Moment of Inertia: Investigate how the distribution of mass from the axis of rotation influences rotational speed.
- Angular Acceleration & Torque: Use a hanging mass and pulley system to measure angular acceleration and verify Newton’s second law for rotation (𝜏=𝐼𝛼).
- Rotational Kinetic Energy: Compare energy conservation between translational and rotational motion.
- Parallel Axis Theorem: Shift mass distribution and explore how the moment of inertia changes when rotation occurs about different axes.
- Rolling vs. Sliding Motion: Combine with incline plane setups to compare rotational and translational dynamics.
Applications in Higher Education
The Rotational Inertia Demonstrator is not only a powerful tool for high school physics — it also scales seamlessly into higher-education environments. In introductory college mechanics courses, it provides clear, measurable evidence of foundational rotational principles, helping students bridge the gap between equations and physical intuition.
Because the apparatus is simple, precise, and highly adaptable, it supports both conceptual demonstrations in large lecture settings and rigorous data-driven investigations in lab-based university courses.
Products being sold are not toys. They are for Educational / Laboratory use only. They are not for use by children 12 and under.
Warning: California Residents
WARNING: Cancer & Reproductive Harm — www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
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