The toppling iPad

The motion of a toppling iPad is analyzed in detail. Measurements of angular velocity and linear acceleration were made for toppling about the edges and corners. From the analysis of the angular velocity, the position of the center of mass and the gyration radii were determined. The position of the accelerometer in the iPad was measured using both the centrifugal acceleration and the Euler acceleration, with the latter measurement providing more accurate data. This experiment could be used in the first year of a university course in mechanics, either in a physics laboratory or as a home experiment.