Five labs, written three ways.

Driving question. Where will the marble land?

Students fire the marble through the two photogates on the gate bar to get v₀ from the 50 mm baseline, predict the landing point from the table height, mark the floor with carbon paper, and report the percent error. Repeating at three click positions gives R against v₀, whose slope is √(2h/g). The 30° setting extends it to a launch at an angle.

Hardware. Marble launcher + gate bar + 2 photogate forks + Hub.

Driving question. What does a hanging mass actually do to a cart?

A cord over the pulley end piece pulls the cart (Hub docked) with a hanger of nuts. Students predict a = mg/(M+m), measure it from the encoder, find the friction force by letting the cart coast, and read it again from the intercept of (M+m)a against mg. From there: μ, and the speed lost over the run.

Hardware. Rail + pulley end + cart with Hub + mass hanger + nuts.

Driving question. How do you weigh something with a ruler?

A metre stick rests on the printed pivot; students hang a known mass on one side and slide an unknown on the other until it balances, then solve Στ = 0. Moving the pivot off the centre of mass makes the stick weigh itself. A d₂ vs d₁ plot has slope m₁/m₂.

Hardware. Spring stand + torque pivot + ruler saddle + 3 clips + hangers + the student’s own metre stick.

Driving question. What is the rotational inertia of a disc, and can you change it?

A hanging mass on the spool spins the platform disc while the encoder records θ(t). Students predict α from τ = Iα, measure it, plot τ against α (slope I) and compare with ½MR². Nuts dropped into the pockets at a known radius add a predictable ΔI; an energy check recovers ω after a 0.5 m drop.

Hardware. Spindle block + platform disc + encoder + pulley end + hanger.

Driving question. What sets the period of a mass on a spring?

Students first measure k by hanging masses from a spring on the stand. Then the cart sits between two springs on the rail; the encoder records x(t), and T² against m has slope 4π²/k_eff. The energy section compares ½kA² with ½mv²max read from the same trace.

Hardware. Three rail segments + spring ends + 2 springs + cart with Hub + stand for k.