Free-Fall Apparatus

The Free-Fall Apparatus is used for measuring the time it takes for a ball to fall a certain distance using a digital timer. This product is very easy to set up, ideal for use in mechanics experiments with students, but is nevertheless a highly accurate piece of equipment.

how does the free-fall apparatus work?

The apparatus includes three steel balls and a micro-magnet which holds the ball in its start position.

Three contact pins under the release mechanism ensure that the start position of the ball can be reproduced. The pins act as the contacts of a switch which opens when the ball is released, thus triggering the beginning of the timing measurement.

When the ball strikes the contact plate at the bottom, the timer is stopped. The ball is also held firmly on the plate so that it does not bounce.

The height through which the ball drops can be adjusted to a fraction of a millimetre, for maximum precision, and is read off a scale on the column.

features of the free-fall apparatus

• Easy to set up
• Precise measurement of time with no systematic errors
• Heigh of fall can be set to nearest millimetre
• No searching for lost balls

required equipment

• Millisecond Counter (230V, 50/60Hz)

or:

• Millisecond Counter (115V, 50/60Hz)
• Pack of 3 Experiment Leads for Free Fall Apparatus

technical specification

• Dimensions: approx. 200 x 130 x 1000mm³
• Weight: approx. 1.6 kg
• Height scale 20 – 960mm
• Scale divisions: 10mm
• Scale precision: 0.2mm
• Balls: steel, 16mm dia.