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How to Graph an Accelerometer

Accelerometers are devices that put out a voltage that corresponds to acceleration. Accelerometers are no different from any other measurement device, such as a microphone, a photodetector or a digital scale. The trick is to get a method to sample the device, capture the data, store it and plot it out. Each one of those steps presents you with a choice, and the decisions you make will be driven by the specific characteristics of your accelerometer and your goals for the measurement.

Things You'll Need

Accelerometer
Stopwatch
Voltmeter
Spreadsheet or data analysis program

Instructions

- 1
  Hook the leads of the voltmeter to the accelerometer.
- 2
  Record the accelerometer readings at given intervals. For example, you could attach an accelerometer to the dashboard of your car, then record voltages every 15 seconds as a friend drives about town.
- 3
  Transfer the voltage and time readings to your spreadsheet or data analysis program.
- 4
  Select the columns of data and plot the voltage as a function of time.
- 5
  Apply calibration factors if desired. The calibration factors will be of the form of scales and offsets, such that the acceleration = scale x voltage + offset. You can then plot acceleration versus time.

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