Rubber Stopper Lab Name: ___________________________________________

Part 1: Observations & Predictions

Step 1: Observe the rubber stopper moving in a circle at constant speed.
Q1. Draw the free-body diagram for the suspended hanging mass.

Q2. Draw the free-body diagram for the forces acting on the rubber stopper as it moves in a circle.

Q3. Which force or combination of forces provides the centripetal force for the rubber stopper, causing it to
change direction.

Step 2: For this experiment, we are interested in determining the relationship between the radius of the stopper’s
rotation and the speed that it must travel to maintain that radius. Ms. Miller will perform the experiment and
provide you with the data she collects.
Q4. Predict what you think the graph of the rubber
stopper’s speed vs. radius will look like? That is, as the
radius increases, will the rubber stopper’s speed increase
or decrease? Do you think the graph will be linear, or will
it follow the pattern of a quadratic function? square root?
inverse?

Q5. Explain the experiment that Ms. Miller will

implement to allow you to determine the relationship
between the speed of the stopper and radius of the orbit.
a) What is the independent (manipulated) variable and dependent (responding) variable?

b) How will you determine the rotational speed? What will you measure? What will you calculate? How?
(Show a sample calculation.)

c) How will you create a graph to show the relationship between the variables?