FORCE TABLE LAB - Reardon Physics



FORCE TABLE LAB

PURPOSE:

(a) To experimentally determine the equilibrant force - both magnitude and angle.

(b) To mathematically determine the equilibrant using the component method of

vector addition.

MATERIALS: Force table, masses.

PROCEDURE:

1. Place the first two pulleys on the force table at the proper positions and with the proper masses for problem number 1.

Note: The mass of the hanger is 5 grams. Therefore you only need to add 30 g to the hanger and not 35 g at the first location.

2. Determine where the third pulley should be located and what mass should hang from it in order to keep the system balanced. If the system is in equilibrium, the junction of the strings (circular ring) should come to rest at the center of the force table. Show me the first time you get the ring to balance.

3. What you just experimentally found is the equilibrant. The equilibrant is the “neutralizing force”. It makes the total force on the ring add up to zero. It has the same magnitude of the resultant of the first two vectors but points in the opposite direction. Record the mass and angle of your equilibrant under ‘Experimental Results’. Don’t forget that the hanger is 5 grams.

4. Now check your results by solving for the equilibrant using the component method. First resolve the original two forces into their x and y components in the data table.

5. Determine what the x-component any y-component of the equilibrant must be in order for all the components to add up to zero.

6. Draw a triangle of your equilibrant using the x-component and y-component that you found. From your triangle, find the magnitude of the equilibrant by using Pythagorean Theorem.

7. Determine the reference angle of the equilibrant by using inverse tangent.

8. Using the signs of your x-component and y-component, determine what quadrant the equilibrant lies in.

9. Finally, determine the absolute angle of your equilibrant by using the following chart:

|Quadrant |Absolute Angle |

|1 |Reference Angle |

|2 |180 – Reference Angle |

|3 |180+ Reference Angle |

|4 |380 – Reference Angle |

10. Compare your theoretical results to your experimental results. Are they consistent?

Problem #1

Experimental Results: ______________

|VECTOR |X-COMP |Y-COMP |

|35g @60( | | |

|25 g @110( | | |

|Equilibrant | | |

Magnitude of the Equilibrant:

Reference Angle of the Equilibrant:

Quadrant of Equilibrant

Absolute Angle of the Equilibrant:

Theoretical Results:

Do they match Experimental Results?

Problem #3

Experimental Results: ______________

|VECTOR |X-COMP |Y-COMP |

|25g @60( | | |

|25 g @112( | | |

|Equilibrant | | |

Magnitude of the Equilibrant:

Reference Angle of the Equilibrant:

Quadrant of Equilibrant:

Absolute Angle of the Equilibrant:

Theoretical Results:

Do they match Experimental Results?

Problem #2

Experimental Results: ______________

|VECTOR |X-COMP |Y-COMP |

|15 g @145( | | |

|55 g @200( | | |

|Equilibrant | | |

Magnitude of the Equilibrant:

Reference Angle of the Equilibrant:

Quadrant of Equilibrant:

Absolute Angle of the Equilibrant:

Theoretical Results:

Do they match Experimental Results?

Problem #4

Experimental Results: ______________

|VECTOR |X-COMP |Y-COMP |

|25g @ 300( | | |

|25 g @ 248( | | |

|Equilibrant | | |

Magnitude of the Equilibrant:

Reference Angle of the Equilibrant:

Quadrant of Equilibrant:

Absolute Angle of the Equilibrant:

Theoretical Results:

Do they match Experimental Results?

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