Shoot-The-Target

The PASCO Shoot-the-Target Accessory, in combination with a projectile launcher, demonstrates that acceleration is constant for all objects in freefall, regardless of initial velocity. A target is initially suspended near the ceiling, and a projectile launcher is aimed directly at it. As soon as the projectile is shot from the launcher, the target is released. The projectile hits the target as it falls, proving that both objects accelerate downward at the same rate.

Before it falls, the target is attached to the drop box by a permanent magnet so it can hang indefinitely, even when the drop box is not powered. A photogate detects the projectile as it leaves the launcher and triggers the drop box. The drop box releases the target by driving a current through a coil that cancels the field of the permanent magnet.