Force Meter
Force Meter
Force Meter
Topics: Forces,
Gravitation, Vectors
Develop a deeper understanding of forces, mass, weight, gravitation, vectors, and
Materials List more with an easy to make force meter.
3 Paperclips, jumbo
Rubber band, long Assembly
and wide, #64, ¼” x 1. Slip 2 jumbo paperclips onto a wide rubber band as shown.
3½” or similar 2. Use masking tape to securely attach one of the paperclips
Cardboard tube from step 1 to the center of a dowel or plastic tube. Wrap
about 2.5 x 15 cm the masking tape around the paperclip several times. Pull
(~1” x 6”) long on the rubber band to check that the paperclip is securely
Dowel, stick, plastic fastened. See figure 1. Figure 1
tube, or similar 3. Attach a paper strip or adhesive labels along the entire
length of stiff length of the dowel. Doing the same on both sides will
material, narrower allow two scales to be created (e.g., newtons, grams,
than above tube, ounces). Leave the strip(s) or label(s) blank so calibration
~30 cm (~12”) long marks can be written in later.
Adhesive labels or 4. Slip the dowel into the cardboard tube. Hook the free
paper paperclip to the top edge of the tube and secure by
Drill wrapping masking tape around both. See figure 2.
Cup hook or equal 5. Straighten and then bend a jumbo paperclip into a “U”
Re-sealable bag shape with a flat on the bottom, see arrow in figure 2.
Sand 6. Position the “U” at the bottom end of the cardboard tube
Scale that weighs in (see figure 2) such that the bottom of the “U” is about 2 cm
grams (3/4”) from the end of the tube. See the double headed Figure 2
Tape, masking or arrow in figure 3. Tape the ends of the paperclip “U” to the
equal sides of the tube as shown.
Pencil 7. Attach a hook (e.g., cup hook, “s” hook, or bent paperclip)
to the end of the dowel. Drill a hole if needed.
8. If an “S” hook is needed then bend a paperclip to create an
This activity can be used “S” shape. Inserted end of the paperclip “S” into the hole
to teach: made in step 7. Twist and/or tape the inserted end of the
Forces (CA Science “S” hook to secure the hook in place.
Standards: Grade 8, 9. Wrap tape around any sharp protruding points.
2.a – 2.f)
Motion and Forces Figure 3
(CA Science
Standards: HS Calibrating the Force Meter
Physics, 1.d, 1.e, 1.k) This force meter can be used to measure up to 10 newtons (N) of force, about ~1,000
grams (g) or ~2 pounds (lbs).
1. Hold the cardboard tube vertically. Check that the rubber band is relatively
straight and not twisted inside the tube. Tug gently on the hook of the meter and
then release to establish a zero setting. Make a horizontal calibration mark on the
paper strip at the zero setting and label the setting “0 N” or “0 newton”.
To Do and Notice
There are numerous uses for a force meter. Some possibilities include:
Measuring the gravitational force on different small objects.
Measuring the force necessary to drag a small object up an inclined plane.
Using a catapult and a force meter to gather data on the distance traveled by a projectile vs.
the force applied to the catapult’s throwing arm (See the RAFT Idea Sheet Catapults) (Use
a safe projectile such as a cotton ball, foam dowel, or pom-pom.)
Using a force meter to measure the force on a mousetrap spring. See the RAFT Idea Sheet
Mousetraps in Motion.
In 1678, Robert Hooke showed that the distance a spring will stretch is proportional to the amount of force applied
to the spring (Hooke’s Law). For this reason, springs are frequently used in force meters. Rubber bands will
approximately follow Hooke’s Law for relatively small amounts of force. The rubber band does not follow Hook’s
Law exactly due to the rubber band’s variable elasticity, which changes with use. A rubber band based force meter
is still suitable for simple force explorations, but not where more accurate or consistent measurements are needed.
It is easy to confuse the terms force, mass, and weight. A bathroom scale and many other types of scales are force
meters. The term mass refers to the amount of matter contained within an object, a number that would be the same
anywhere in the universe. Weight is a measure of the force of gravity pulling on an object and will vary with
location (Earth vs. moon, for example). The weight of an object is proportional to the mass of the object. The
measurement of the gravitational force upon an object will provide an indirect measurement of an object’s mass.
Web Resources (Visit www.raft.net/more for how-to videos and more ideas!)
Difference between force and mass - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Gene_Nygaard/weight.htm