Ticker Timers (T1)

Question 1

What is a ticker timer?

Answer 1

A machine that makes a series of dots on paper moving through the machine

Question 2

What is the average number of dots most ticker times in school make each second?

Answer 2

About 50 dots per second

Question 3

If the tape in a ticker timer is pulled slowly through the machine, the dots are…

Answer 3

closer together

Question 4

What is a ticker timer used to investigate?

Answer 4

Speed and / or acceleration

Question 5

If the tape in a ticker timer is pulled quickly through the machine, the dots are…

Answer 5

further apart

Question 6

How do you use a ticker timer to investigate speed or acceleration?

Answer 6

• one end is fastened to a weighted trolley or air track glider which pulls the machine as it moves
• the tape is then cut up into lengths representing equal time and used to make speed-time graphs

Question 7

On a standard school ticker timer set up, what amount of time does each length of tape represent and how would you work out the velocity from the length of tape?

Answer 7

• each length of tape represents 0.1s

- v = s (length of tape) / t (0.1s)