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Physics of Media Arts: Conceptual Physics for Students of the Media Arts

Aaron Wong

Lab Activity 8.6.1 Popper Toy

Introduction.

Although it is a simple toy, the popper toy is complicated enough to have some interesting physics.

Equipment List.

  • Popper Toy
  • Meter Stick
  • Cell phone with slow-motion video recording capability
  • Scale

Procedure.

Our goal is to try to measure as much information about the physics of the popper toy as possible.
  1. Weigh the popper toy in grams. (Note: These grams are a unit of force and not mass! We’ll deal with that later.)
  2. Record the popper toy up-close in slow motion and launch it several times. Determine the time it takes for the popper to invert (after it starts moving).
  3. Record the popper toy up-close next to a meter stick and launch it several times. Determine the initial velocity of the popper when it leaves the surface. The toy is not completely consistent, so you will end up with a variety of values. The goal is to get three good measurements.
  4. Record the popper toy at a larger distance and launch it several times. Estimate the maximum height that the popper attains. (Try to get the measurement on "mostly vertical" launches.)

Example 8.6.1.1. Sample Charts.

Table 8.6.1.2. Popper
Measurement #1 Measurement #2 Measurement #3 Average
Popper Initial Velocity
Popper Maximum Height

Discussion.

We are going to study the dynamics of the popper toy.
  1. Use the fact that \(F = ma\) to determine the mass of the popper toy. (Note: The acceleration in this case is gravity, and you’ll want to pay attention to your units.)
  2. Using the launch speed of the popper and its mass, determine its initial momentum.
  3. Use \(\Delta p = F \Delta t\) to determine the average force that the popper exerts on the surface when it is popping.
  4. Use the equations for projectile motion to calculate the expected height of the popper given its initial speed. How does this compare to what you measured?

Conclusion.

This lab was a simple exercise in doing some measurements and calculations involving momentum.

Lab Write-Up Guidance.

Use the following outline to help you write up your lab report completely and correctly.
  • Title and Header.
    What is the title of the lab and who was in the lab group?
  • Introduction.
    In your own words, what was the purpose of the lab activity?
  • Procedure.
    Describe the process of collecting the data. Were there any particular challenges?
  • Results and Data.
    Present your charts of data, including both the individual and average results.
  • Discussion.
    Answer the discussion questions. This set of discussion questions is more computational than most. Be sure that you state the original question and organize your calculations in a way that is easy to follow.
  • Conclusion.
    Write a couple paragraphs about the lab. Did you find anything interesting or surprising?
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