Vernier Dual Range Force Sensor Manual download pdf (Page 2)

 LabVIEW National Instruments LabVIEW™ software is a graphical

programming language sold by National Instruments. It is used with SensorDAQ

and can be used with a number of other Vernier interfaces. See

www.vernier.com/labview for more information.

NOTE: Vernier products are designed for educational use. Our products are not

designed nor recommended for any industrial, medical, or commercial process such

as life support, patient diagnosis, control of a manufacturing process, or industrial

testing of any kind.

How the Dual-Range Force Sensor Works

The Dual-Range Force Sensor uses strain gage technology to measure force, based

on the bending of a beam. Strain gages attached to both sides of the beam change

resistance as the beam bends. The strain gages are used in a bridge circuit such that a

small change in resistance will result in a change in voltage. This voltage change is

proportional to the change in force. A switch allows you to select either of two

ranges: 10 N or  50 N.

This sensor is equipped with circuitry that supports auto-ID. When used with

LabQuest 2, LabQuest, LabQuest Mini, LabPro, Go! Link, SensorDAQ, TI-Nspire

Lab Cradle, EasyLink, or CBL 2, the data-collection software identifies the sensor

and uses pre-defined parameters to configure an experiment appropriate to the

recognized sensor.

The Two Switch Settings–Resolution and Range

As with any instrument, there is a trade-off between accuracy and the range of forces

that can be measured. In general, you should use the 10 N range if you can. If the

forces exceed ten newtons, you need to use the  50 N range. In normal use, the

resolution with the two different switch settings will be

10 N 0.01N Stored Calibration slope: –4.9 N/V

intercept: 12.25 N

 50 N 0.05 N Stored Calibration slope: –24.5 N/V

intercept: 61.25 N

Optional Calibration Procedure

You should not have to perform a new calibration when using the Dual-Range Force

Sensor in the classroom. We set the sensor to match our stored calibration before

shipping. You can simply use the appropriate calibration file that is stored in your

data-collection program from Vernier. In many cases, you can load an experiment

file that is designed for use with the Dual-Range Force Sensor and you are ready to

collect data.

The sensor is sensitive enough to measure the weight of the sensor hook. To

minimize this effect, simply place the sensor in the orientation in which it will be

used (horizontal or vertical) and choose zero in the software. This will define the

current situation as 0 N of force.

If you want to improve the calibration, it is easy to recalibrate. Follow the same

procedure used in calibrating most Vernier sensors–a two point calibration. One of

the points is usually with no force applied. Select the calibration option in the

program you are using and remove all force from the sensor. Enter 0 as the first

known force. Now apply a known force to the senor. The easiest way to do this is to

hang a labeled mass from the hook on the end of the sensor. Enter the weight of the

mass (Note: 1 kg applies a force of 9.8 newtons). For calibration using the 10 N

range, we recommend using 300 g of mass (2.94 N) for the second calibration point.

For calibration using the  50 N range, we recommend using a 1 kg mass (9.8 N) for

this second calibration point. Be careful not to exceed the selected range setting

during calibration. If you plan to use the Dual-Range Force Sensor in a different

orientation (horizontal vs. vertical) than calibrated, zero the Force Sensor to account

for this. This additional step makes the sensor read exactly zero when no force is

applied.

Mounting on a Ring Stand

The Dual-Range Force Sensor is designed to be mounted on a ring stand in several

different ways. Use a 13 mm rod extended through the hole in the Dual-Range Force

Sensor. Tighten the thumb screw.

Mounting on a Dynamics Cart

The Dual-Range Force Sensor was designed for easy mounting on a Vernier or

PASCO dynamics cart.

Vernier Dynamics Cart

First mount the post to the cart and tighten. Then mount the Dual-Range Force

Sensor to the post using the thumb screw.

Mounted for vertical

data collection

Mounted for horizontal

data collection

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