Moment of inertia on an inclined plane using Arduino

Abstract

In physics, several problems are solved by considering the extended object as being a particle with all the mass concentrated in the center of mass and neglected dimensions, however for rotating and rolling objects this approximation will result in a serious disagreement between theory and experimentation. In this work we present an experimental assembly of a sliding body on an inclined plane, which can measure its position as a function of time and thus predict its velocity and acceleration. In addition to basic kinematics, the moment of inertia of rotating bodies will be considered.We will use bodies with different shapes and moments of inertia, experimentally identifying their contribution along the displacement. We propose the construction and use of an experimental apparatus using Arduino, collecting a large number of points, in which it is possible to analyze the temporal displacement of the center of mass of the object along the inclined plane with different angles, cylindrical and spherical objects, identifying the discrepancy when disregarding the moment of inertia of the rotating bodies.