PASCO ME-6810 User Manual

Instruction Manual

Manual No. 012-05088D

Time of Flight

Accessory

Model No. ME-6810

ME-6810

SIGNAL

5V

+

GND

DIGITAL OUTPUT

TIME-OF-FLIGHT ACCESSORY

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CAUTION

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USE PLASTIC

BALLS ONLY!

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Table of Contents

Equipment List........................................................... 3

Equipment Requirements for Suggested Experiments...................................................................4

Introduction ............................................................. 5

Setup Options ........................................................... 5

Set up the Time of Flight Accessory with a Photogate Timer.......................................................6

a) Setup for a Time of Flight Study (with Timer)........................................................................6

b) Setup for an Initial Speed and Time of Flight Study (with Timer) .........................................6

Set up the Time of Flight Accessory with a Computer Interface...................................................7

a) Setup for a Time of Flight Study (with Interface)...................................................................7

b) Setup for an Initial Speed and Time of Flight Study (with Interface).....................................8

Experiments ......................................................... 9-14

Experiment 1: The Relationship between Time of Flight and Initial Velocity........................ 9-10

Experiment 2: Predicting the Horizontal Distance Traveled from a Launched Projectile..... 11-13

Experiment 3: Horizontal Velocity of a Projectile................................................................. 14-15

Teacher’s Guide ........................................................16

Appendix A: DataStudio® Software Instructions for Using the Time

of Flight Accessory with a PASPORTTM Interface .................. 18

Appendix B: DataStudio Software Instructions for Using the Time of
Flight Accessory with a

Appendix C:

ScienceWorkshop

ScienceWorkshop

®

Software Instructions for Using the

Interface ...........19-20

Time of Flight Accessory with a Computer Interface........... 21-22

Appendix D: Technical Support ....................................... 23

Appendix E: Copyright, Warranty, and Equipment Return .......... 24

2

®

Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Time of Flight Accessory

Model No. ME-6810

Equipment List

1

ME-6810

SIGNAL

5V

+

GND

DIGITAL OUTPUT

TIME-OF-FLIGHT ACCESSORY

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 CAUTION

USE PLASTIC

BALLS ONLY!

2

Included Equipment Replacement

Model Number*

1. Time of Flight Accessory

2. Ziplock bag

ME-6810

735-016

*Use Replacement Model Numbers to expedite replacement orders.

Equipment Required

1. Projectile Launcher

2. Photogate Mounting Bracket

3. Photogate

4. Data acquisition software**

5. Interface (

ScienceWorkshop

6. Phone jack extender cable*

7. Ruler

®

or PASPORT™) or Timer**

ME-6800 or ME-6801

ME-6821

ME-9204A or ME-9498

CI-6870C

CI-6450 or CI-7599 or

PS-2123 with PS-2100

PI-8117

NA

* Note: The phone jack extender may be required to connect the Time-of-Flight

Accessory to the Photogate Timer or computer interface if you are using the Long
Range Projectile Launcher.

** If an interface and/or data collection software are not available, you can use a

Photogate Timer (ME-9206A, ME-9215A, or ME-8930) instead. See table on page

4.

®

3

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Equipment needs may vary, depending on the types of experiments you plan to
perform. Use the following table as a guideline for determining what equipment
you need.

Time of Flight Experiments Initial Speed Experiments

Equipment
Required

Time of Flight

Photogate
Timer

Computer
Interface*

Photogate
Timer

xxxx

Accessory

Projectile Launcher x x x x

Photogate Timer x x

Photogate Bracket x x x x

Photogate

x (1)

†

x (1)

†

x (1-2)

††

Interface x x

Ruler x x

DataStudio x x

Phone jack

xx x

extender cable

†

One photogate is required for measuring only the initial speed; two photogates are required for
measuring both initial speed and time of flight in the same experiment.

††

The computer interface must be either a PASCO ScienceWorkshop interface (CI-6450 or CI-

7599) or a PASPORT Photogate Port (PS-2123) with USB Link (PS-2100) and USB-compatible
computer.

Note: Most experiments require either a computer interface or a Photogate Timer. See “Setup
Options” on pages 6-9 of this manual.

Computer
Interface*

††

x(1-2)

4

®

Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Introduction

The PASCO ME-6810 Time-of-Flight Accessory is for use with
PASCO Projectile Launchers. It consists of a piezo-electric speaker
circuit mounted on a 20 x 20 centimeter plastic plate. The plate has a
signal cable with a 6 mm (1/4”) stereo phone plug. When a ball hits the
plate, the speaker circuit generates a Photogate-like pulse. The cable
sends the signal to a timer. The Time-of-Flight Accessory was
designed for use with a PASCO Photogate Timer or a PASCO

®

computer interface (such as the ScienceWorkshop Interface

or a

PASPORT Photogate Port with USB link) for Macintosh® or

Windows® computers.

Setup Options

The Time of Flight Accessory can be used with a Photogate Timer or a
computer interface for time of flight or initial speed studies. If using a
computer interface, you will also need data collection software, such
as DataStudio. If you plan to measure initial speed and time of flight in
the same experiment, you will need two photogates for the setup.

Time of Flight Study - Setup Using One Photogate

Projectile
Launcher

CAUTION!

CAUTION!

DO NOT LOOK

DO NOT LOOK
DOWN BARREL!

DOWN BARREL!

SHORT RANGE

PROJECTILE LAUNCHER

Photogate

ME-6800

WEAR
SAFETY

GLASSES 
WHEN IN USE.

Time-of-Flight

Accessory

Time of Flight and Initial Speed Study - Setup Using Two

2 Photogates

Projectile
Launcher

CAUTION!

CAUTION!
DO NOT LOOK

DO NOT LOOK
DOWN BARREL!

DOWN BARREL!

SHORT RANGE

PROJECTILE LAUNCHER

ME-6800

WEAR
SAFETY

GLASSES 
WHEN IN USE.

10 cm

Plug to timer or interface

Plug to timer or interface

CAUTION: For
projectile-based studies
with balls, use only 25
mm plastic balls or 16
mm steel balls. Using 25
mm steel balls will
damage the unit.

Time-of-Flight

Accessory

Figure 1

®

5

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Setup the Time of Flight Accessory with a Photogate
Timer

a) Setup for a Time of Flight Study (with Timer)

Equipment Requirements: See page 4 of this manual.

1. Remove the

Photogate Head from
the support rod of the
Photogate Timer.

2. Put the Photogate

Mounting Bracket
onto the Projectile
Launcher. Mount the
Photogate Head at the
front of the Launcher.

3. Connect the Time-of-

Flight accessory stereo
phone plug into the
side of the Photogate
Timer.

4. Set the Photogate

Timer to PULSE mode
to measure the time of
flight of the projectile
from the launcher to the pad.

Projectile Launcher

Photogate Mounting

Figure 2: Attaching the Photogate
Mounting Bracket

DIGITAL OUTPUT

GND

SIGNAL

+

5V

Figure 3: Photogate Timer (side view)

Bracket

Connect stereo phone
plug here.

Photogate

Head

To Photogate

Timer

b) Setup for an Initial Speed and Time of Flight Study (with
Timer)

Equipment requirements: See page 4 of this manual.

1. Remove the Photogate Head from the support rod of the Photogate

Timer.

2. Put the Photogate Mounting Bracket onto the Projectile Launcher.

Mount the Photogate Head at the closest position on the front of the
Projectile Launcher. Mount the second photogate at the farthest
position on the mounting bracket.

3. Measure the distance between the photogates. You will use this

distance and the measured time between the photogates to calculate
the initial speed of the projectile (ball).

6

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Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

4. Connect the stereo plug of the first photogate into the Timer. Set

the Photogate Timer to PULSE mode to measure the time of the
projectile from the first photogate to the second photogate.

5. Connect the stereo plug of the Time of Flight Accessory into a

second timer or a Smart Timer (ME-8930). (Note: If you do not
wish to measure time of flight, skip this step.)

Set up the Time of Flight Accessory with a
Computer Interface

You can setup the Time of Flight Accessory for use with a computer

interface and either DataStudio™ or ScienceWorkshop® software.

a) Set up for a Time of Flight Study (with interface)

Equipment Required: 1 Photogate with bracket, 1 ScienceWorkshop
interface (CI-6400 or CI-6450) OR 1 PASPORT Photogate Port (PS-

2123) with USB Link (PS-2100) and USB-compatible computer, 1
Time of Flight Accessory, 1 Projectile Launcher, DataStudio software

®

1. Put the Photogate

Mounting Bracket on to

Projectile Launcher

the Projectile Launcher
and mount the
photogate at the front of
the launcher.

2. For ScienceWorkshop

interfaces: Insert the

Photogate’s stereo
phone plug into Digital

Photogate

Figure 4: Mounting the Photogate on
the Launcher

Mounting

Bracket

To co m p u t e r

interface

Channel 1 and the
Time-of-Flight Accessory stereo phone plug into digital channel 2
on the interface.

OR

For PASPORT interfaces: Insert the stereo plug of the photogate
into Port 1 on the PASPORT Photogate Port and the stereo plug for
the Time of Flight Accessory into Port 2 on the PASPORT
Photogate Port. Connect the Photogate Port to a USB link and USB
port on your computer.

Photogate

Head

3. Use the computer program that came with your interface to

measure the time of flight of the projectile from the launcher to the

®

7

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

pad. (For information about using computer software with the
interface, see Appendices A-C of this manual).

b) Set up for an Initial Speed and Time of Flight Study (with
interface)

Equipment Required: 2 Photogates with brackets, 1

ScienceWorkshop

®

interface (CI-6400 or CI-6450) OR 2 PASPORT

Photogate Port (PS-2123) with 2 USB Links (PS-2100) and USB­compatible computer, 1 Time of Flight Accessory, 1 Projectile
Launcher, DataStudio software

1. Put the Photogate

Mounting Bracket onto

Projectile Launcher

Photogates

the Projectile Launcher.
Mount one Photogate at
the closest position to the
front of the launcher.
Mount the second
photogate at the farthest
position on the bracket.

Photogate

Figure 5: Mounting the Photogates on
the Launcher

Mounting

To computer interface

Bracket

2. For ScienceWorkshop

interfaces: Connect the

stereo phone plug from the Photogate that is closest to the projectile
launcher into digital channel 1, the stereo phone plug of the second
photogate into digital channel 2, and the stereo plug of the Time-­of-Flight accessory into digital channel 3 on the interface.

For PASPORT interfaces: Insert the stereo plug of the photogate

into Port 1 on the PASPORT Photogate Port, the stereo plug of the
second photogate into Port 2 on the Photogate port, and the Time
of Flight Accessory into either Port 1 or Port 2 on a second
Photogate Port. Connect each Photogate Port to a USB link and
USB port on your computer.

3. Use the computer program that came with your interface to measure

the initial speed and overall time of flight of the projectile from the
launcher to the pad (For more information about using a computer
program to time the projectile, see Appendices A-C of this
manual.)

8

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Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Experiment 1: The Relationship between
Time of Flight and Initial Velocity

Equipment required

Computer interface (CI-6450 or CI-7599 or
PS-2123 with PS-2100)

*

Projectile Launcher and ball (ME-6800 or
ME-6801)

Time-of-Flight Accessory (ME-6810) Photogate Mounting Bracket (ME-6821)

Phone Jack Extender Cable (PI-8117) Photogate Head (ME-9498)

*If a computer interface is not available, use a Photogate Timer (ME-8930).

Purpose:

The purpose of this experiment is to show that the time of flight of a
ball launched horizontally off a table does not change as the initial
velocity is varied.

Theory:

A ball is launched horizontally off a table from a height h and has no
initial velocity in the vertical direction. Hence, the ball takes the same
amount of time to reach the ground as a ball that drops from rest at the

1

2



---

same height. The equation gives the time of flight, which is

h

independent of the initial velocity. Therefore, .

gt

=



2

h

---

t2

=

g

1. Clamp the Projectile

Launcher to one end

C

C

AU

AU

TIO

TIO

N!

N!

DO NO

DO NO

T LO

T LO

OK

OK
D

D

OW

OW

N

N

BAR

BAR

REL

REL

!

of a sturdy table

!

W

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A

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PROJECTILE LAUNCHER

M

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-6

8

0

0

W

H

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N

IN

U

S

E

.

with the launcher
aimed away from
the table.

2. Adjust the angle of

the Projectile
Launcher to zero

Figure 1.1: Experiment Setup

degrees so the ball
will launch
horizontally.

3. Attach the Photogate Mounting Bracket to the Launcher and attach

the Photogate to the bracket. Plug the Photogates into the computer
interface.

®

9

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

4. Connect the Time-of-Flight Accessory into the computer interface

using the extender cable.

5. Run the timing program and set it to measure the time between the

blocking of two photogates (one Photogate and the timer plate of
the Time-of-Flight Accessory).

Procedure:

1. Put the plastic ball into the Projectile Launcher and cock it to the short

range position.

2. Test fire the ball to determine where to place the timer plate on the

floor. Put the timer plate on the floor where the ball hits.

3. Shoot the ball on the short range position and record the time of

flight in Table 1.1.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the medium range and long range. Are the

times the same?

5. Set the angle of the launcher to 300 and shoot it again on the long

range setting. Move the timer plate to the new landing position so
the ball will hit the plate. Shoot again and record the time of flight
in Table 1.1. Is this time the same as the others?

Table 1.1: Results

Range Time

Short

Medium

Long

Long at 30

0

10

®

Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Experiment 2: Predicting the Horizontal Distance
Traveled from a Launched Projectile

Equipment required:

Computer interface* (CI-6450 or CI-

Time of Flight Accessory (ME-6810)

7599 or PS-2123 with PS-2100)

DataStudio software (CI-6870)* Cable (PI-8117)

Projectile Launcher and ball (ME-

6800 or ME-6801)

Photogate Mounting Bracket (ME-

6821)

Photogate Heads (ME-9498) Measuring tape or stick

Plum bob (SE-8728) White and carbon paper

*If a computer interface is not available, use a Photogate Timer (ME-8930).

Purpose:

The purpose of this experiment is to use the time of flight and the
initial velocity to predict the horizontal distance traveled by a ball shot
off a table at an angle.

Theory:

A ball is launched off a table from a height h at an angle θ above the
horizontal. The horizontal distance, x, traveled by the ball is given by

xv

0

θtcos=

where is the initial velocity of the ball and t is the time

v

0

of flight.

Setup:

1. Clamp the Projectile

Launcher to one end of
a sturdy table with the
launcher aimed away

CAUTION!

CAUTION!
DO NOT LOOK

DO NOT LOOK
DOWN BARREL!

DOWN BARREL!

SHORT RANGE

PROJECTILE LAUNCHER

ME-6800

WEAR
SAFETY

GLASSES 
WHEN IN USE.

from the table.

2. Adjust the angle of the

Projectile Launcher to
any desired angle.
Record the angle in

Figure 2.1: Experiment Setup

Table 2.1.

3. Attach the Photogate Mounting Bracket to the Launcher and

connect the Photogates to the computer interface.

®

11

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

4. Connect the Time-of-Flight Accessory to the computer interface

using the extender cable.

5. Run the timing program and set it to measure the time between the

three successive signals (two Photogates and the timer plate of the
Time-of-Flight Accessory).

Procedure:

1. Put the plastic ball into the Projectile Launcher and cock it.

2. Test fire the ball to determine where to place the timer plate on the

floor. Put the timer plate on the floor where the ball hit.

3. Tape a piece of white paper and a piece of carbon paper to the plate

to record where the ball lands.

4. Shoot the ball and record the times between Photogates in Table

2.1.

5. Shoot the ball 9 more times to determine the average horizontal

distance traveled.

6. Use the Plumb Bob to find the place on the floor directly below the

muzzle of the launcher. Measure the horizontal distance along the
floor to the leading edge of the paper on the plate. Record this
distance in Table 2.1.

7. Remove the carbon paper and measure from the leading edge of the

paper to each of the dots on the paper. Record in Table 2.1.

Analysis:

1. Find the average of the ten distances and record in Table 2.1.

2. Add the distance to the leading edge of the paper to the average and

record in Table 2.2.

3. Calculate the time of flight by adding the time between photogates 1 and

2 and the time between photogate 2 and the timer plate. Record in Table

2.2.

4. Calculate the initial velocity using the time between photogates 1 and 2

and the distance between the photogates (10 cm). Record in Table 2.2.

5. Calculate the horizontal distance using the time, initial velocity, and angle

and record in Table 2.2.

6. Calculate the percent difference between the measured distance and the

calculated distance. Record in Table 2.2.

12

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Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Results

Angle_________________

Time between photogates___________

Time between second photogate and timer plate______________

Distance to paper_____________________

Table 2.1: Results

Distance

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Average

Total distance

Time of flight

Initial velocity

Calculated distance

Percent (%) difference

Table 2.2: Results

®

13

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Experiment 3: Horizontal Velocity of a Projectile

Equipment required:

Computer interface (CI-6450 or CI­7599 or PS-2123 with PS-2100)

*

Projectile Launcher and ball (ME-

Time of Flight Accessory (ME-6810)

Phone Jack Extender Cable (PI-8117)

6800 or ME-6801)

DataStudio software (CI-6870C) Photogate Mounting Bracket (ME-6821)

Photogate Head (ME-9498) Measuring tape or stick

Plum Bob (SE-8728) White paper

Carbon paper Vertical target board

*If a computer interface is not available, use a Photogate Timer (ME-8930).

Purpose:

The purpose is to show that the horizontal velocity of a projectile is
constant throughout its flight.

Theory:

For projectile motion, the horizontal and vertical motions are separate.
In the vertical direction, the projectile accelerates downward as gravity
pulls on it. But in the horizontal direction, there is no acceleration and
the component of the velocity in the horizontal direction is constant
(neglecting friction).

The horizontal velocity can be found by measuring the horizontal

x

V

distance and the time of flight (i.e. ).

---=

x

t

Setup:

1. Clamp the Projectile

Launcher to one end of a
sturdy table with the

!

!
N

N
O

O
I

I
T

T

K

K
U

U

O

O
A

A

O

O
C

C

L

L

!

!
T

T

L

L
O

O

E

E
N

N

R

R
R

R
O

O

A

A
D

D

B

B

N

N
W

W
O

O
D

D

R
E
H

NGE

C
N

U
A
L

SHORT RA

E
IL
T

C

E
J
O

launcher aimed along the
length of the table.

R

P

E-6800

M

R

A
E
W

Y
T
E
F



A

S

S

E

S

.

S

E

A

S

L

U

G

N

I

N
E
H

W

0.5 m

2. Adjust the angle of the

Projectile Launcher to

at least 2 m

any desired angle.

Figure 3.1: Experiment Setup

3. Attach the Photogate

Mounting Bracket to the launcher and attach the Photogate to the

14

®

Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

bracket. Plug the Photogate into Channel 1 on the computer
interface.

4. Connect the Time-of-Flight Accessory to the computer interface.

Use the extender cable if necessary.

5. Run the timing program and set it to measure the time between

blocking of two Photogates (one Photogate and the timer plate of
the Time-of-Flight Accessory).

6. Set up the vertical target board about 0.5 m in front of the Projectile

Launcher. Use the Plumb Bob to aid with the measurement of the
exact distance between the muzzle of the launcher and the timer
plate. Record the distance in Table 3.1.

Procedure:

1. Load and cock the launcher to the long range position.

2. Fire a test shot to see where the ball hits the vertical target. Hold

the timer plate against the vertical board at the place where the ball
hit.

3. Shoot the ball again and record the time of flight in Table 3.1.

4. Move the vertical target to 1 m, 1.5 m, and 2 m in succession,

finding the time of flight for each position and recording in Table

3.1.

Analysis

1. Calculate the horizontal velocity for each position. Is the velocity

constant?

Table 3.1 : Data and Results

Distance Time

Horizontal

Velocity

®

15

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Teacher’s Guide

Experiment 1: The Relationship between Time of Flight
and Initial Velocity

Notes on Setup:

2. It is important to keep the launcher exactly horizontal. Use a spirit
level for best results.

3, 4. You may use one of several timing options for this experiment.
Consult the manual for your computer interface, and then connect
things so that the Photogate starts the timer and the timer plate of the
Time-of-Flight Accessory stops it. Alternately, you may use the
PASCO ME-9215A or ME-9206A Photogate Timers.

Notes on Procedure:

4. The times will be nearly the same, if the launcher is horizontal. You
will notice a systematic error if the launcher is not exactly horizontal.

5. Setting the launcher to some angle other than 0° will significantly
affect the time.

Experiment 2: Predicting Horizontal Distance from a
Launched Projectile

Notes on Setup:

3-5. You may use any compatible computer interface (i.e.

ScienceWorkshop 750 SCSI or 750 USB, or a PASPORT Photogate
Port with USB link). In any case, you will want to arrange things so
that you can record the times between the two Photogate signals and
the time between the second Photogate and the timer plate.

Notes on Analysis:

3. Depending on your interface program, the time given for each event
may be the total time since the first event, rather than the time since the
last event.

16

®

Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

4. The initial velocity should be close to that measured in other
experiments (See manual experiments 1 and 2, for example.)

6. The difference should be less than 5%.

Experiment 3: Horizontal Velocity of a Projectile

Notes on Setup:

3-5. If necessary, consult your interface manual. The system should be
set up in such a way that the computer measures the time between the
Photogate and the timer plate.

6. The “Vertical Target Board” can be any convenient moveable
vertical object.

Notes on Analysis:

The velocity is not constant. It is nearly constant, but this equipment is
sensitive enough to observe the change in velocity due to air
resistance. This air resistance will result in your measured velocity
being slightly lower at longer distances. You may ignore this effect if
you wish, or you may want the students to further investigate the air
resistance.

®

17

Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Appendix A: DataStudio Software Instructions for Using the
Time of Flight Accessory with a PASPORT Interface

Instructions for an Initial Velocity and/or Time of Flight Study

1. Connect the photogate and time of flight accessory stereo plugs to the
Photogate Ports. [Note: You will need 1-2 photogates and 1-2
PASPORT Photogate Ports (PS-2123). See the PASPORT interface
setup instructions on page 7 of this manual.]

2. Connect the each Photogate Port to a USB link or hub.

3. When the Choose Timer window appears, select "Time in Flight"

and click OK.

4. Measure the photogate spacing (meters).

5. At the Change Variable Values prompt, accept or change the default
photogate spacing and click OK.

Note: To change mea­surement parameters,
click on the Setup button
to open the PASPORT
Setup window. Scroll to
the Time of Flight options
and check to add options
or uncheck to remove
them. For more informa­tion, see the DataStudio
online help.

6. Initial Velocity and time of flight parameters automatically appear
in a Table display. You are ready to begin collecting data.

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Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Appendix B: DataStudio Software Instructions for Using the
Time of Flight Accessory with a

ScienceWorkshop

Interface

Instructions for an Initial Velocity and/or Time of Flight Study

1. For a time of flight study: Connect the stereo phone plug of the

photogate to digital channel 1 on the ScienceWorkshop interface and
the Time-of-Flight Accessory plug into digital channel 2.

For an initial speed and time of flight study: Connect the stereo

phone plug of the photogates to digital channels 1 and 2 on the
ScienceWorkshop interface and the Time-of-Flight Accessory plug
into digital channel 3.

2. Open DataStudio and create an experiment.

3. On the main toolbar, click the Setup button to open the Experiment

Setup window.

For more information
about using photogates
or timing devices with
DataStudio, see the
DataStudio online help.

4. For a time of flight study: In the Sensors list of the Experiment
Setup window, click and drag the Photogate icon to channel 1 on
the picture of the interface and the Time of Flight icon to channel 2.

For an initial speed and time of flight study: In the Sensors list of
the Experiment Setup window, click and drag each Photogate icon
to channels 1 and 2 and the Time of Flight icon to channel 3 on the
picture of the interface.

5. Double click on the Photogate icon(s), click on the Measurement
tab click to check the State box, and click OK.

6. Double click on the Time of Flight icon, click on the Measurement
tab, click to check the State box, and click OK.

7. In the Experiment Setup window, click the Timers button to open
the Timer Setup dialog. (You will use this window to define a
timing scheme for your experiment.)

8. Click the New button (to start a new timing sequence).

9. Under “Label,” type a name for your timing sequence (i.e.”Time

between Gates” or “Time of Flight” or both if doing an initial speed
and time of flight study).

10. For a time of flight study: a) In the Timing Sequence menu for

channel 1, click on the down arrow for channel 1 and select
“blocked” to start the timing when the photogate beam becomes

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Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

blocked. b) In the Timing Sequence menu for channel 2, click on
the down arrow and select “On” to record the time that the ball hits
the time-of-flight pad. c) To accept your timing sequence, click the
Done button. An icon for the timed entry will appear in the Data
List.

11. For an initial speed and time of flight study: You will need to
create two timers for this experiment: one timer for “Time between
Gates” and a second timer for “Time of Flight”).

a) For the “Time Between Gates” timer, click on the down arrow

for channel 1 and select “blocked” to start the timing when the first
photogate beam becomes blocked. b) In the menu for channel 2,
select “blocked” to stop the timing when the second photogate
beam becomes blocked. c) To accept your timing sequence, click
the Done button. An icon for the timed entry will appear in the
Data List.

d) For the “Time of Flight” timer, click on the down arrow for
channel 1 and select “blocked” to start the timing when the
photogate beam becomes blocked. e) In the menu for channel 3,
click on the down arrow and select “On” to record the time that the
ball hits the time-of-flight pad. f) To accept your timing sequence,
click the Done button. An icon for the timed entry will appear in
the Data List.

12. To begin collecting data, click the Start button.

Note: To calculate the initial velocity, use the DataStudio Calculator

to create an equation (Vi= distance/time between gates).

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Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Appendix C:

ScienceWorkshop

Software Instructions for Using

the Time of Flight Accessory with a Computer Interface

a) Time of flight Study (Macintosh or Windows)

1. Perform equipment setup instructions on pages 5-6 of this manual.

2. Connect the photogate’s stereo phone plug into digital channel 1 on

the interface.

3. Connect the Time of Flight Accessory stereo phone plug into
digital channel 2 on the interface.

4. Start the ScienceWorkshop program. In the Experiment Setup
window, click and drag the digital sensor plug icon to the Digital
Channel 1 icon.

5. From the list of digital sensors, select “Time of Flight.” Click OK to
return to the Experiment Setup window. The sensor icon for time
of flight will appear in the Experiment Setup window.

6. Click and drag the Table display icon to the sensor icon.

7. From the list of calculations to display, select “Time of Flight

(tFlight).” Click “Display” to return to the Experiment Setup
window. The Table display will show “tFlight (sec).”

You are ready to begin collecting data.

b) Initial Speed and Time of Flight Study (Macintosh or
Windows)

1. Perform setup instructions on pages 5-6 of this manual.

2. Start the ScienceWorkshop program. In the Experiment Setup

window, click and drag the digital sensor plug icon to the Digital
Channel 1 icon.

3. From the list of digital sensors, select “Time of Flight (2 ‘gates’).”

Click OK to return to the Experiment Setup window. The time of
flight sensor icon will appear in the Experiment Setup window.

4. Click and drag the Table display icon to the sensor icon.

5. From the list of calculations to display, select “Initial Velocity

(vInitial)” and “Time of Flight (tflight).” [To select more than one
calculation at the same time, hold down the SHIFT key.] Click

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Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

“Display” to return to the Experiment Setup window. The Table
display will show “vInitial (m/sec)” and “tFlight(sec).”

You are ready to begin collecting data.

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Model No. ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory

Appendix D: Technical Support

For assistance with the ME-6810 Time of Flight Accessory or any
other PASCO products, contact PASCO as follows:

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.

Roseville, CA 95747-7100

Phone: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

Web: www.pasco.com

Email: [e-mail]

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Time of Flight Accessory Model No. ME-6810

Appendix E: Copyright, Warranty, and
Equipment Return

Copyright Information

The 012-05088D Time of Flight Accessory Manual is copyrighted and
all rights reserved. However, permission is granted to non-profit
educational institutions for reproduction of any part of the Time of
Flight Accessory Manual, providing the reproductions are used only
for their laboratories and are not sold for profit. Reproduction under
any other circumstances, without the written consent of PASCO
scientific manual, is prohibited.

Limited Warranty

PASCO scientific warrants the product to be free from defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of
shipment to the customer. PASCO will repair, or replace, at its option,
any part of the product which is deemed to be defective in material or
workmanship. The warranty does not cover damage to the product
caused by abuse or improper use. Determination of whether a product
failure is the result of a manufacturing defect or improper use by the
customer shall be made solely by PASCO scientific. Responsibility
for the return of equipment for warranty repair belongs to the
customer. Equipment must be properly packed to prevent damage and
shipped postage or freight prepaid. (Damage caused by improper
packing of the equipment for return shipment will not be covered by
the warranty.) Shipping costs for returning the equipment after repair
will be paid by PASCO scientific.

Equipment Return

If the product requires return to PASCO scientific for any reason,
notify PASCO by letter, phone, or fax before returning the product.
Upon notification, the return authorization and shipping instructions
will be promptly issued. Note: No equipment will be accepted for
return without an authorization from PASCO.

Credits:

Ann and Jon Hanks (authors)

Dave Griffith (editor)

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