How the voltage across two oppositely charged metal plates affects the frequency of metal-covered a

ping pong ball oscillating between them

Two oppositely-charged parallel plates will produce an electric field between them.

The electric field strength, E, between the two plates can be calculated using:

E=V/d

Where V is the potential difference across the two plates (in Volts) and d is the distance between the
two plates (in meters).

If a ping-pong ball is given a metal covering (e.g. aluminium foil) and is suspended between two parallel
plates with a high potential difference across them, the ball will bounce back and forth between the
plates; touching each plate in turn and collecting charge from the plate. This causes it to repel from the
plate and accelerate to the other plate. The greater the potential difference across the plates, the
greater the charge collected and thus the faster the frequency of oscillation.

It is expected that as the potential difference increases, the frequency of oscillation of the ping pong ball
will increase.
The Effect of Temperature on the Elasticity of a Rubber Band

Abstract

Rubber is an example of a natural polymer. The chains of molecules in rubber have a natural elasticity:
they can stretch when pulled. When the pulling force is removed, the elastic polymers in rubber spring
back to their original length. A polymer with elastic properties like this is sometimes called an elastomer.
The molecular chains of an elastomer basically act like springs.

When a rubber band is stretched out, there are not as many ways the individual molecules can arrange
themselves as they are when the rubber band is not stretched. They have to be lined up. These links
between the chains are called cross links. If too much force is applied these cross links will break and the
rubber band will snap.

When there are more ways to arrange the molecules, the entropy is higher. When a rubber band is
stretched, entropy dictates that the rubber band will want to contract again. When the temperature is
higher, the molecules are more excited, and want even more to be in a random state. This makes the
rubber band easier to stretch out.

At a constant temperature, a rubber band obeys Hooke's Law: The force, f = - K(X - Xo) where K is a
constant, (X - Xo) is the elongation and the sign in negative because the force is in the direction opposite
to the extension. That is the force, f, is trying to pull the rubber band back to its equilibrium length, Xo.

Objective

The purpose of this investigation is to discover the effect of changes in temperature on the elasticity of
a rubber band.

Hypothesis

We believe that the elasticity of the rubber band is going to increase as the temperature increases in our
experiment.

Elasticity of the rubber band is defined as the maximum length the rubber band stretches from its initial
length when weight is placed on it. (Dependent Variable) Temperature is defined as the temperature of
the water that the rubber band is submerged in (Independent Variable). The type and size of rubber
band and time of rubber band submerged in water will be controlled.

Materials Required:

• Large glass container

• Hot plate

• Rubber bands

• Water

• Ice

• Thermometer
• 3 pieces of wood (Two 35 cm in x 16 cm, One 30 cm x 15 cm)

• Nails

• Metal strip

• Metal clips

• Metal hooks

• Two pulleys

• Wire

• 50 g weight hook

• 50 g and 100 g weights

• Ruler

Procedure:

Our first action was to create a contraption which would allow us to determine the elasticity of rubber
bands, while varying both the temperature of the rubber bands and the amount of weight placed on
them. See picture below. Using nails, we fastened the three pieces of wood together into a frame with a
hole in the top and two pulleys attached, allowing a wire to travel through the hole in the top of the
contraption, then partway down one side of the frame.

To the top of the contraption, we fastened a metal strip that extended downward from the middle of
the apparatus, next to the wire. At one end of the wire we placed a 50 g hook to hold the weights, and
on the other end was a small metal clip, where we attached a rubber band.

The rubber band was anchored to a small metal hook that was attached to the metal strip. We fastened
a ruler to the side of the frame by the weight, in order to measure how much the rubber band
stretched. After the contraption was built, we decided to create different water temperatures in order
to change the temperature of the rubber band. We put water in a large class container, then cooled it
with ice cubes to get our first temperature of 0 degrees Celsius.

We placed the glass container inside the wood frame, submerging the rubber band. Then, we measured
the amount the rubber band stretched after adding weight to the 50 g weight hook. We calculated the
elasticity of the rubber band at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 g. We repeated this procedure for
temperatures of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 degrees Celsius, using the hot plate to bring the water to
warmer temperatures. After collecting data on each new temperature, we switched rubber bands, to
minimize error.