Experimental investigation of the factors that affect the magnitude of the centripetal force exerted on a rotating body in a flipped classroom

Abstract

Abstract Teaching of centripetal force in secondary education is a challenging task because of its central role in the circular and rotational motion. The specific equipment needed for experiments that explore the physical law which governs the centripetal force is usually limited in schools. The experiment presented in this paper, is based on a device which was made from scratch. It has been used in a flipped classroom to engage students in an inquiry-based experimental process. In the synchronous and asynchronous distance learning sessions students worked on the experimental data of circular motion and the uncertainties of them. They made predictions for the dependence of centripetal force on mass, angular velocity and radius of rotation and they got familiar with the scientific methodology. According to their responses to a short questionnaire posed, most of them had a positive attitude towards the teaching module applied.