Design of an air track for engineering and physics education

Abstract

An air track is a valuable tool for examining force and motion in the classroom, providing a low-friction environment to observe phenomena. Unfortunately, currently available models have limited functionality and are prohibitively expensive for many schools. To improve access to this helpful device, a number of smaller and less expensive variations on traditional air tracks are designed and tested. From an analysis of test results and theoretical performance calculations, the best design is identified. Further improvements to this design are also suggested.