Inertial motion looks like accelerated motion when observed from the point of view of a non-inertial reference frame. A non-inertial observer can then describe the trajectories by introducing fictitious forces, like the centrifugal and Coriolis forces, that arise from the coordinate change between reference frames. This well-known fact is part of the typical Physics syllabus for undergraduate scientists and engineers, and a number of interesting classroom demonstrations have been discussed in the literature. We present a complementary possibility for the visualization of the effect of fictitious forces by shining a blue laser beam on a rotating platform covered with a phosphorescent vinyl sheet. The laser can be moved in order to simulate inertial motion in the laboratory frame for the trajectory of the laser spot. This gets immediately imprinted in the rotating phosphorescent material resulting in non-inertial trajectories that can be readily observed and compared to the dynamics governed by fictitious forces. Since friction is not considered, this hands-on activity can be considered as a direct demonstration of the effect of pure fictitious forces in and out of the classroom. The approach is simple, inexpensive, fast and non-destructive, and can therefore be very convenient for active lecture demonstrations or individual activities of students. We also describe some educational possibilities of how to use the procedure in the classroom or in the laboratory.

中文翻译：

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使用激光笔直观地观察虚拟力量的影响


从非惯性参考系的角度观察时，惯性运动看起来像加速运动。然后，非惯性观察者可以通过引入虚拟力（例如离心力和科里奥利力）来描述轨迹，这些虚拟力是由参考系之间的坐标变化产生的。这个众所周知的事实是本科科学家和工程师典型物理教学大纲的一部分，并且文献中讨论了许多有趣的课堂演示。我们通过将蓝色激光束照射到覆盖着磷光乙烯基片的旋转平台上，提出了虚拟力效应可视化的补充可能性。可以移动激光器，以模拟实验室框架中激光光斑轨迹的惯性运动。这会立即印在旋转的磷光材料中，从而产生可以轻松观察的非惯性轨迹，并与虚拟力控制的动力学进行比较。由于不考虑摩擦力，这种实践活动可以被认为是课堂内外纯虚拟力量效果的直接展示。该方法简单、廉价、快速且无损，因此对于活跃的讲座演示或学生的个人活动非常方便。我们还描述了如何在课堂或实验室中使用该程序的一些教育可能性。