As scientists design instruments to push charges to faster and faster speeds, they must understand how accelerated motion affects the distance objects travel while being accelerated. To accelerate particles at Fermilab scientists push them with an electrical force. The downside to this method is that this electrical force changes directions continuously. First it points to the right, then it points to the left. Right, then left, continuously.
To successfully use this method of accelerating particles, scientists let them get pushed in the desired direction, but cover them up with a tunnel to stop them from being pushed back in the other direction.
The method scientists use to accelerate particles at Fermilab is similar to putting a balloon in a strong wind that keeps switching right and then left. If you want the balloon to be blown to the right, you would let the wind push it when the wind is pointing toward the right. However, to keep it from slowing down when the wind is pointing toward the left, you would need to cover it up. You would then remove the cover when the wind switched back to the right, and so on.
Fermilab scientists actually create particle tunnels for this very reason. To be successful, scientists need to know exactly where a given particle will be after it finishes being accelerated so they can place a shielding tunnel around it to stop it from being slowed down. They also need to know just how long to make the tunnel so that the particle will come out again when the electric force is pushing in the desired direction.
Research Assignment
You will roll a ball down an inclined ramp, which will feed into a horizontal tunnel, which will open onto another ramp, and so on until your ball has rolled down at least four ramps and through at least four tunnels during the five-foot drop to the ground. In addition the ball must remain in each tunnel and on each incline for one second apiece. Will you have to make the tunnels all the same length? What about the inclines? Will your ball accelerate on the inclines? Will your ball accelerate in the tunnels? Find out!
Design and create a system of ramps and tunnels using the track and tubes that will bring a ball from five feet high to the ground. The ball must travel down at least four inclines and must travel through at least four tunnels. The balls may only be on the inclines for one-second intervals and must remain in the tunnels for one-second intervals.
- Use pegboard to set up your apparatus and use duct tape to tape pieces of your apparatus together.
- Practice before you cut your track or hose.
- Place the ball on the track at your start point. Release the ball and demonstrate your design!
Observations:
Record all of your activities and observations in your journal. For each trial, note the lengths of each ramp and tunnel and the time that the ball spends on each one. Be sure to record your data in a systematic way so that you can understand it as you do your experiment and your teacher can understand what you did when your experiments are done.
Journaling: What Did You Learn?
Were the lengths of your ramps constant? What about the lengths of your tunnels? Where did your ball accelerate? Do you notice anything interesting about the lengths of the tunnels and ramps in your apparatus? Explain your observations in your journal.