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Circular Motion
| 1.
Preparation: |
a) Look at the
derivation of the equation to calculate the magnitude of the
centripetal acceleration acting on a mass moving in a circular
path at constant speed. |
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b) Revise "components of
forces". |
| 2. |
The aim of the experiment is to verify the
relation between the centripetal force acting on a body
(moving in a circular path at constant speed) and the angular
speed of the body.
The apparatus is shown below. Stop-watches and boxes of know
masses, M, are also available. The rubber bung will be made to
follow a horizontal, circular path at approximately constant
speed. |
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| . |
During the experiment, m and
will remain constant.
Give a clear title for the experiment. (The title
must state the aim of the experiment.)
From the diagram, it is clear that the actual radius of the path
followed by the bung, r, is not equal to
. You
will notice during the experiment that the radius of the path is
not constant. As part of your "conclusion/evaluation" you should
show that (perhaps surprisingly) this is not a problem. Hint: the
force causing the acceleration is the horizontal component of the
tension in the string… |
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© David
Hoult 2008 |
The
Open Door Web Site