Tutorials on non-inertial reference frames

Accelerating reference frames:  Inertial “forces” and local acceleration due to gravity

Pretest (.pdf)

Tutorial (.pdf)

Homework (.pdf)

Exam questions (.docx)

Instructor notes (.pdf)

All materials (~1.7MB .zip,

    .docx and .pdf)

Tutorial title

Emphasis (what do students do?)

Links to materials

Define and apply “inertial ‘force’” concept, with emphasis on qualitative analysis of free-body diagrams

Define and apply “local acceleration due to gravity” as measured in an accelerating frame

Accelerating reference frames:  Rotating frames

Contact information for co-PIs

Bradley S. Ambrose

Department of Physics

118 Padnos Hall

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI 49401

Tel.:  616-331-2524

FAX:  616-331-3740

Email:  ambroseb@gvsu.edu

Michael C. Wittmann

Department of Physics and Astronomy

5709 Bennett Hall

University of Maine

Orono, ME  04401-5709

Tel.:  207-581-1237

FAX:  207-581-3410

Email:  wittmann@umit.maine.edu

Define and apply fictitious “forces” (Coriolis and transverse) for rotating frames

Use free-body diagrams to account for motion observed in rotating frames; relate motions observed in inertial and rotating frames

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Accelerating reference frames:  The Foucault pendulum

Pretest (.pdf)

Tutorial (.pdf)

Homework (.pdf)

Exam questions (.docx)

Instructor notes (.pdf)

All materials (~2.3MB .zip,

    .docx and .pdf)

Account for motion of pendulum on a
rotating platform using appropriate (Coriolis) fictitious “force”

Extend results to pendulum on Earth; relate precession frequency to latitude

Pretest (.pdf)

Tutorial (.pdf)

Homework (.pdf)

Exam questions (.docx)

Instructor notes (.pdf)

All materials (~2.3MB .zip,

    .docx and .pdf)

Sponsored in part by NSF grants DUE-0441426 and DUE-0442388

Sponsored in part by NSF grants DUE-0441426 and DUE-0442388

Intermediate Mechanics Tutorials