Digital fabrication for inexpensive physics experiments: the linear air track

Abstract In this manuscript, we present a homemade linear air track made of wood and plastic by laser cutting and 3D printing. It can be used for physics experiments on kinematics and dynamics. To exemplify its use, we perform position measurements as a function of time for the gliders moving in the inclined track. The experiment shows the uniformly accelerated motion as expected, and permitted us to verify the low friction coefficient of the air track.