Lab4Physics lab tools: The Speedometer

The speedometer is the tool that allows you to measure the time it takes for an object to travel from one position to another. At the end of each measurement, the Speedometer generates two types of graphs: position vs. time and velocity vs. time. In addition to the graphs, you can also get a data table with all of the measurements.

With the speedometer and all the different experiments available through Lab4Physics, your students will be able to learn about a variety of physics concepts, such as position, velocity, slope, distance, displacement, average speed, and average velocity.

Steps to follow to use the speedometer

1. Once you’ve selected the speedometer tool, click the green button that says “New measurement.”
2. Immediately, you’ll see a table of positions on your screen. Fill in the table by entering the different positions the experimental object will pass as it travels along its path. By default, the application has two positions, but you can add more positions by clicking on the “Add new position” button.
3. If you want to delete a position from the table, put your finger on the position you want to get rid of and slide it to the left. You’ll see a red “erase” button, and you can click on this button if you’re sure that you want to delete this position.
4. Once you’ve finished adding all the positions you need, you can press the green “Continue” button to start timing.
5. On the next screen, you’ll see a stopwatch. Click the green button every time the object travels past one of the positions you’ve entered.
6. As soon as you’ve finished taking measurements, you’ll be able to obtain the different graphs and data tables for your analysis.
7. Click the green button that says “Save” to save the measurements.