Physics 211 Experiment #5 Uniform Circular Motion

OBJECT!E" To study the motion of an object undergoing uniform circular motion.

#$CU$$O%" An object undergoing uniform circular motion (moving with constant speed along
the circumference of a circle) experiences a centripetal force that is radially inward. This force
causes the direction of motion of the object to change, thus the object accelerates. The centripetal
force, Fc, is discussed and derived in the text, and depends on the mass of the object, m, the speed
of the object, v, and the radius, r, of the circular path along which the object moves
r
r
mv
F
!
c
=

. (")
#n the experiment, we will be able to measure m and r directly. To obtain the speed, we will need
to combine the angular speed, , with the radius of the circular path, r, since the apparatus in the
experiment will measure the angular speed. The magnitude of the speed is simply related to the
angular speed and radius
r v = (!)
P&E'()B E*E&C$E"
"). $olve the following problem A centripetal force apparatus is designed to rotate a %& g mass
around a circle with a radius of !% cm. A spring is used to hold the mass at this radius. A force of
!.%& ' is re(uired to stretch the spring to the correct radius. )hat is the speed of the %& g mass*
)hat is the angular speed of the mass*
!). +reate appropriate tables for the two sets of data you will to collect during the lab.
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O+er+ie,
#n this experiment, we will measure the force exerted on a spring in two different ways the force,
F, due to gravity on a mass attached to the spring for a non0rotating system, and the centripetal
force due to a rotating mass. #n the experiment, we will arrange it so the force, F, exerted on the
spring by the non0rotating mass, 1, is the same as the force exerted on the spring by the rotating
mass, m. This is illustrated schematically on the following page, it is a three0step process. )e
will measure and compare the force exerted on the spring by gravity, and by the centripetal force
for systems with (") constant force, and (!) constant radius.
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F 2 1g
r
E-UPME%T"
3otating 4latform assembly with mounting rods
Aluminum rotating platform with 5&& g s(uare mass
+enter post, spring and plastic indicator dis6
$ide post, "&& g mass with 5 hoo6s and two %&g attachable masses
+lamp0on pulley and thread
$mall photogate
4asco % g mass hanger and masses
Figure ". The centripetal force apparatus
Figure ! 7etail of the photogate
attached to the rotating platform
base.
P&OCE#U&E"
. (e+elin/ the apparatus 0ase. #t is very important that the apparatus be leveled at the place it
will be used, since the lab tables aren8t flat.
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m
+enter post
$ide
post
+olored index dis6
1oveable
indicator
mar6er
1oveable spring
support
Figure 5. 4osition of platform to adjust right hand
screw.
Figure /. 4osition of platform to adjust left hand
screw.
". Adjust the right leveling screw so that the 5&& g mass and the rotating platform are
aligned along a line that passes over the left leveling screw as shown in Fig. 5
!. 3otate the rotating platform 9&
o
so it is parallel to the right leg as shown in Fig. /,
and adjust the left leveling screw so the platform will stay in that position.
5. +hec6 whether the aluminum platform stays in any position to which it is set. #f the
platform remains stationary, it is level. #f the rotating platform does not remain in any
position it is placed, repeat steps ! and 5 until the platform is level.
%OTE" n the follo,in/ 1iscussion m 2 rotatin/ mass an1 M 2 mass an1 ,ei/ht han/er
attache1 0y strin/ o+er a pulley to 1etermine the force exerte1 0y the sprin/.
Collectin/ #ata 34eneral nstructions5 For each 1ifferent ra1ius or sprin/ tension the
force the spring exerts must be determined by following the procedure. Failure to determine this
force will make your experiment invalid.
". )ith the side post set at r 2 "% cm and the hoo6ed mass at !&& g, clamp the pulley to
the end of the rotating platform. $et the spring support on the center post so it is near
the top of the post.
!. Attach a piece of thread to the hoo6 on the mass toward the end of the platform.
5. 4lace the thread over the pulley and place the weight hanger on the end of the thread.
/. Add enough mass (5& to .% grams) to the weight hanger until the mass (m) with the
hoo6s hangs vertically. (The threads supporting the hoo6ed mass must line up with
the vertical index line on the side post.)
%. 7etermine the total weight of the hanging mass (1). This weight is e(ual to the
force exerted on the spring. NOTE: The value of M chosen at this point will be
constant throughout the experiment.
,. )16ust the hori7ontal in1icator mar8er on the center post so it is lined up with the
orange radius indicator dis6 at this time.
9. Turn on the $cience ,or8shop interface first: then turn on the computer.
:. $tart 7ata $tudio and select the $mart 4ulley sensor.
9. ;pen the measurement menu, 1eselect <elocity, +h ", (m-s) and select Angular
4osition, +h", (rad).
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"&. ;pen a graph window.
. #epen1ence of Centripetal force an1 !elocity. 3rotatin/ mass is constant 32;; /5: r is
constant.5
". 3emove the weights and thread that are hanging over the pulley.
!. $tart rotating the apparatus until the orange radius indicator dis6 is centered in the
indicator mar6er. )hile 6eeping the angular velocity constant, record the data for
several rotations by clic6ing on the record button in the software window.
5. =xpand the graph of angular position vs. time.
/. $elect a straight portion of the graph indicating constant angular velocity.
%. $elect a linear fit.
,. 3ecord the slope of the line (angular velocity), of the system.
.. 3epeat the run ! more times, and average the angular velocity for these three trials.
:. $et up an =xcel spreadsheet with appropriate columns, and record the average the
angular speed (or angular velocity) of the system. 3ecord any other information you
will need to analy>e the force on the spring, such as the radius and the total force
(determined while the system was stationary). 1a6e sure you have a column for the
speed of the rotating object, which can be obtained by combining the angular speed
with the radius.
9. 3eattach the thread and weights removed in step " . +hange the weight by at least % g
("& g is better). Do not change the radius.
"&. Adjust the sprin/ support 0rac8et until the mass (m) hangs vertically.
"". Adjust the in1icator mar8er so it is centered on the orange dis6.
"!. 3epeat steps " through 9.
"5. 3epeat steps " through "! for an additional 5 masses which are approx. %g to "& g
apart. ?ou will be done with this part when you have run this for % different forces.
"/. +alculate the average speed for each of the average angular speeds you have
determined in steps " through "5.
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!. Centripetal force ,ith constant ra1ius 3+aryin/ mass m an1 spee1 +: ,ith r constant:
an1 M constant5.
". ?ou will use the same value of 1 throughout this part. ?our are varying the rotating
mass.
!. @eep the same radius used in 4art ###.
5. Ta6e data as above for two additional runs first by changing the hoo6ed mass by
removing %& g so that m is "%& g, and then by changing the hoo6ed mass m to "&&g
by removing the other %& g. The spring bracet position! the indicator marer! and
the radius should remain at the same location throughout this part of the experiment.
/. 3ecord the angular velocity re(uired for each rotating mass, and any other
information you will need, into the excel spreadsheet. +alculate the speeds (v) of
each mass.
)%)(<$$ O= #)T)
". For the results you obtained while varying the centripetal force (in step ###), plot
F (vertical axis) vs. v
!
(hori>ontal axis) using =xcel.
a. 7etermine a linear trend line for the data.
b. The slope is e(ual to m-r (see e(uation ").
c. +ompare the slope to m-r from the constants of the experiment by
calculating the percent difference*
!. For the results you obtained while 6eeping the radius constant (in step #<), plot
m (vertical axis) vs. v (hori>ontal axis) using =xcel
a. 7etermine the best0fitting power0law trend line for the data.
b. The coefficient of x should be e(ual to Fr. (3emember to calculate F by
using 1g.) +ompare the coefficient of x to Fr. )hat is the percent error*
c. The exponent of x should be e(ual to A!B compare the exponent of x to A
!, and determine the percent error*
5. ?our report should state the deviation (per cent difference) between the expected
values and values determined from your graphs. #n addition, you should
comment on the nature of the graphs and the reasons for your results.
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