What You Can Teach with the Timer and Photogates The Timer and Photogates system opens the door to a wide range of experiments across mechanics and kinematics: Constant Velocity & Acceleration: Measure time intervals as objects pass through one or more photogates. Free Fall & Gravity: Capture precise timing for falling objects to calculate acceleration due to gravity. Dynamics of Motion: Analyze acceleration of carts on ramps and compare predicted and measured values. Collision Studies: Record impact timing and explore conservation of momentum in elastic and inelastic collisions. Periodic Motion: Time oscillations in pendulums or springs to study simple harmonic motion. Higher Ed: How Students Can Use the Timer and Photogates In college physics labs, the Timer and Photogates system serves as a reliable, high-resolution timing platform for quantitative mechanics experiments. Most commonly used in higher-ed labs Constant acceleration on an incline: Time a cart through one or two gates to calculate (v) and (a); compare to kinematic models. Free-fall / measuring (g): Use a picket fence or falling object through a gate to determine gravitational acceleration. Atwood’s machine: Photogates time motion of unequal masses to test Newton’s 2nd law and predict acceleration. Cart collisions & momentum: Measure pre-/post-collision speeds to examine momentum conservation and energy loss. Simple harmonic motion (pendulum/spring): Period mode times oscillations to verify SHM relationships.

3/4" steel balls with chrome finish are great for doing Newtonian physics experiments such as collision or for use in mass/volume experiments. View Physics Balls Menu