written by Aaron Titus

The Video Analysis of a Rolling Ball on a Merry-go-round uses the Tracker video analysis tool to measure and analyze the motion of a  ball rolling with constant velocity on a rotating merry-go-round. Video includes the motion of the ball as viewed from the rotating reference frame of the merry-go-round. The lab asks students to compare motion of the ball with the net force on the ball to establish whether Newton's first law is valid (or not). This lab helps students use Newton's first law to define an inertial reference frame.

The TRZ file contains the lab handout, two videos (one video to analyze and a second video to view motion of a rolling ball in a rotating reference frame), and the Tracker data file. The video comes from YouTube and can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAX3ALdienQ.

The videos can be used with other video analysis software; however, the handout has screen captures from Tracker and instructions specifically written for Tracker.

• Download video-coriolis.trz - 385kb Tracker Document Set

Last Modified April 25, 2023

This file has previous versions.

The Video Analysis of a Rolling Ball on a Merry-go-round lab shows students how to use the Tracker video analysis tool to compare the motion of a ball rolling in a rotating platform as viewed from a stationary camera with the motion of the ball viewed by a camera rotating with the merry-go-round.

• Download video-coriolis.pdf - 229kb Adobe PDF Document

Last Modified October 29, 2010

This file is included in the full-text index.

Video showing ball toss in roating frame of reference.

• Download corioliskraft.mp4 - 5224kb video/mp4

Last Modified February 4, 2023

Video clip.

• Download video-coriolis_video-coriolis.mp4 - 117kb video/mp4

Last Modified April 20, 2023