Video Analysis
Camera
Our camera is a Casio Exilim EX-F1. Unfortunately, I'm not sure they sell it anymore. However, at
http://exilim.casio.com/config.shtml
you'll see the EX-FH25 and EX-FH20 which are similar. They will do up to 1000 frames per second. But notice how cheap they are: $274-$349.
Video Analysis Software
I highly recommend the free, open-source program Tracker (http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dbrown/tracker/) which is well-maintained and supported by the author, Doug Brown, and the Open Source Physics developers. Students can create a theoretical model by defining the force on an object and the initial conditions and can compare the theoretical model with the motion of the object.
For commercial video analysis software, I recommend Logger Pro by Vernier (http://www.vernier.com/soft/lp.html). Its license is a site license that covers your classroom and home computers for you and your students. This allows students to install it on their laptops, for example. Its advantage is that students can use the same software for data collection with sensors.
Videos
Here are some videos we've used at HPU in our physics labs or for undergraduate research or for demos. For videos not produced at HPU, we list the author and source for the video.
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| Constant velocity rolling ball - fast
A steel ball rolls with a constant velocity on an aluminum track with negligible friction. Its speed is approximately 0.53 m/s. The length of the track, measured from end to end, is 2.2 m.
recording speed: 30fps
area: Newton's second law; uniform motion
video credit: Aaron Titus uniform-motion-ball-fast.mov
 uniform-motion-ball-fast.trk
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| Soccer ball shot from truck - Mythbusters
A soccer ball is shot from the back of a truck with the same speed as the truck. Thus, the ball's initial velocity measured by a person on the ground is zero, and it falls from rest. I do not yet have a calibration to use for this video, and I do not know the frames per second of the recording.
recording speed: ?
area: Relativity; Galilean relativity
video credit: Mythbusters soccer-ball-shot-from-truck-Mythbusters.mov
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| Basketball shot
A basketall travels from the player's hand to the floor. Use the 2-m stick on the base of the wall for calibration.
recording speed: 30 fps
area: Newton's Second Law; projectile motion
video credit: Vernier LoggerPro CD basketball.mov
 basketball.pdf
basketball.cmbl
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| Fancart - constant force
A fan exerts a constant force on a cart. (The video also shows a second cart that moves with a constant velocity.) The acceleration of the fancart is approximately 0.19 m/s2.
recording speed: 5 fps
area: Newton's second law; constant net force
video credit: RIT LivePhoto Physics Series (http://livephoto.rit.edu/) fancart.mov
fancart.pdf
fancart.cmbl
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| Impact force during landing (long dt)
A person jumps from a table and lands on the floor. From his motion, the force by the floor on the person can be calculated. In this video, his knees bend as much as possible upon landing.
recording speed: 30 fps
area: Newton's second law; constant net force
video credit: Aaron Titus landing-long.mov
landing-long.pdf
 landing-long.trk
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| Impact force during landing (short dt)
A person jumps from a table and lands on the floor. From his motion, the force by the floor on the person can be calculated. In this video, his knees bend a small amount upon landing.
recording speed: 30 fps
area: Newton's second law; constant net force
video credit: Aaron Titus landing-short.mov
landing-short.pdf
landing-short.trk
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| Two-dimensional collision of two pucks
A two-dimensional collision of two pucks on an air-hockey table.
recording speed: 30fps
area: Newton's second law; conservation of momentum
video credit: Flashmedia collision-pucks.mov
collision-pucks.cmbl
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| Circular motion of a car
A car travels around a roundabout. A bobber in a jar of water sitting on the dashboard floats in the direction of the acceleration of the car.
recording speed: 30fps
area: Newton's second law; uniform circular motion
video credit: Dale Basler (www.dalebasler.com) car-roundabout.mov
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| Uniform circular motion of a bicycle wheel
A bicycle wheel is held by its axle and rotates with nearly constant speed.The first frame is used to set the calibration. Motion begins in the second frame. The video is recorded at 300 fps but plays back at 30 fps.
recording speed: 300fps
area: Newton's Second Law; uniform circular motion
video credit: Aaron Titus and Martin DeWitt bicycle-wheel.mov
bicycle-wheel.pdf
bicycle-wheel.trk
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| Bicycle wheel gyroscope
A bicycle wheel is held by its axle. When released, the wheel precesses. There are two parts of the motion. (1) Before it is released, a point on the wheel is in uniform circular motion and its period and angular frequency can be measured by a sinusoidal fit to x vs. t. (2) After it is released, the wheel precesses. Though it precesses in the third dimension, the axle can be marked every 1/4 of a precession, and x vs. t for the axle can be graphed to determine the precessional frequency . As a result, its precessional frequency can be determined. The video was recorded at 300 fps.
recording speed: 300fps
area: Angular Momentum Principle; gyroscope
video credit: Aaron Titus bicycle-wheel-gyro-300fps.mov
bicycle-wheel-gyro-300fps.pdf
bicycle-wheel-gyro-300fps.trk
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| Pendulum
Though the video shows three oscillations, it is easiest to analyze one half of an oscillation. Though oscillations are not very small, angles are small enough that a sinusoidal fit can be used for θ vs. t to determine the angular frequency. This video can be analyzed in a multiltude of ways. For example, τ vs. α is linear, and the slope can be used to determine the moment of inertia of the pendulum. The center of mass is approximately at the location of the green sticker, though closer to the top edge of the sticker.
recording speed: 30fps
area: Angular Momentum Principle; Pendulum
video credit: Aaron Titus pendulum.mov
pendulum.pdf
pendulum.cmbl
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| Figure Skater Spin
A figure skater performs a "scratch spin." Since the net torque on the skater is approximately zero, her angular momentum is conserved.
recording speed: 300fps
area: Angular Momentum Principle; conservation of angular momentum
video credit: Ashley Press and Aaron Titus figure-skater-spin-300fps.mov
figure-skater-spin.pdf
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| Coriolis effect - motion of a ball on a merry-go-round
A ball rolls on a rotating merry-go-round. In a stationary frame, its velocity is constant witih a magnitude of approximately 1.3 m/s (assuming a merry-go-round diameter of 2 m). You must estimate the diameter of the merry-go-round in order to calibrate distances in the video.
This lab is written as inquiry. Students should also download the video corioliskraft.mov
recording speed: 30fps
area: Newton's first law; uniform motion, reference frames
video credit: Video found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAX3ALdienQ coriolis-merry-go-round-ball.mov
video-coriolis.pdf
video-coriolis.trk
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| Inertial and non-inertial reference frames
The video shows an accelerating fancart and a cart moving with uniform motion. By transforming the reference frame to one of the carts, you can measure the motion of the other cart and determine whether you are in an inertial or non-inertial reference frame.
recording speed: 5fps
area: Newton's first law; inertial and non-inertial reference frames
video credit: RIT LivePhoto Physics Series http://livephoto.rit.edu/ two-carts.mov
two-carts.pdf
two-carts.trk
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