Table of Contents
Advertisement
EXPERIMENT 5
How does a plate
compactor work?
YOU WILL NEED
› The assembled plate compactor
› 3 x AAA batteries or 3 x AAA rechargeable batteries
› Different surfaces (hard and soft)
HERE'S HOW
1. Start by following the assembly instructions for your
plate compactor. You will find the instructions on the
following pages.
2. Open the cover on the vibrating motor. That's how you
get to the battery compartments.
3. Insert the batteries into their compartments as
indicated. Then replace the cover.
4. Push the vibrating motor switch in one direction or the
other.
5. Set the plate compactor on a hard surface, such as a
tabletop, while holding tight to the handle. What
happens to the plate compactor?
6. Now try testing the plate compactor on a soft surface.
Try the mattress on your bed, for example. How does the
plate compactor behave now?
WHAT'S HAPPENING
If you let the plate compactor do its work on a
hard surface, it really jumps up and down. The
ground offers firm resistance, which throws back
the force of the compactor. If, on the other hand,
the surface is soft, it absorbs the force of the
blows and gives way. So the plate compactor
works best on a hard surface.
16
KEYWORD:
ROADWORK IN PROGRESS
Caution, construction zone! You have
probably seen plate compactors in use by
street construction crews in the process of
laying paving stones or building roads.
Plate compactors briefly rise off the
ground and then come crashing down
again, compressing the earth or tar
beneath them or making the paving
stones stay firmly in place. Sometimes,
the workers will first hammer the stones
into position by hand.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
