How to Measure With a Mass Simulator

Center of Mass Simulator

• 1

  Run your mass simulator from the Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln site.

• 2

  Select the sliding bar of the "Object 1 mass." Slide it to the right to increase the mass of the object on the left and to the right to decrease its mass.

• 3

  Slide the bar for "Object 2 mass" to increase and decrease the size of the second object.

• 4

  Set the separation between the two objects by sliding the "Separation" bar. Watch the numbers change underneath the graphics of the objects. Write these numbers down to find the center of gravity between them.

Spring Mass Simulator

• 5

  Go to the Colorado University website and click on "Download" or on "Run Now" to download or run the mass simulator.

• 6

  Click on the weights at the bottom of the screen and drag them up to the numbered springs at the top of the page. Watch the spring stretch downward until it stops. Read the tape measure to the left to measure how far it stretches.

• 7

  Select the options on the right side of the screen to test different factors. Change the friction and spring softness by clicking on the slide bars and moving them to the left and right.

• 8

  Change the gravity by clicking on the planetary name circles on the bottom right of the right hand menu. Switch the speed of the visual display by clicking on the circles to the left of the planet boxes.

• 9

  Click on the "Show Energy of" circles to show the energy of spring 1, 2 or 3. Read the bars to the right to find the types of energy exerted on the strings.