Circular Motion Lab
Circular Motion Lab
SPH4U
Mass m
(g)
[mass of
red ball]
# of
Calculated
washers
Fc (N)
used
Radius
r (m)
Velocity
V (m/s)
Period
T (s)
Frequency
f (Hz)
Trial #1
9.98g
0.300664
0.69
5.91459
0.733
1.364
Trial #1
9.98g
0.300664
0.59
5.37258
0.690
1.449
Trial #1
9.98g
0.300664
0.73
5.65564
0.811
1.233
Trial #1
9.98g
0.300664
0.67
5.15267
0.817
1.224
Trial #1
9.98g
0.300664
0.71
5.59731
0.797
1.255
AVERAGE
#1
9.98g
0.300664
0.678
5.53534
0.7696
1.299
Trial #2
9.98g
10
0.59976
0.6
7.09964
0.531
1.883
Trial #2
9.98g
10
0.59976
0.41
6.09009
0.423
2.364
Trial #2
9.98g
10
0.59976
0.47
5.34981
0.552
1.812
Trial #2
9.98g
10
0.59976
0.34
4.54528
0.47
2.128
Trial #2
9.98g
10
0.59976
0.32
4.60096
0.437
2.288
AVERAGE
#2
9.98g
10
0.59976
0.428
5.57232
0.4826
2.072
Trial #3
9.98g
15
0.919436
0.37
5.13196
0.453
2.208
Trial #3
9.98g
15
0.919436
0.31
4.57227
0.426
2.347
Trial #3
9.98g
15
0.919436
0.385
4.62529
0.523
1.912
Trial #3
9.98g
15
0.919436
0.375
4.87825
0.483
2.070
Trial #3
9.98g
15
0.919436
0.42
6.51589
0.405
2.469
AVERAGE
#3
9.98g
15
0.919436
0.372
5.10337
0.458
2.183
Trial #4
9.98g
20
1.2311642
0.44
6.21259
0.445
2.247
Trial #4
9.98g
20
1.2311642
0.52
7.52824
0.434
2.304
Trial #4
9.98g
20
1.2311642
0.33
5.85721
0.354
2.825
Trial #4
9.98g
20
1.2311642
0.65
7.39868
0.552
1.812
Trial #4
9.98g
20
1.2311642
0.55
8.28717
0.417
2.398
AVERAGE
#4
9.98g
20
1.2311642
0.492
7.11631
0.4344
2.302
Romil Patel
SPH4U
Observations:
1) Centripetal Force vs Velocity
Trial
1
2
3
Fc
Log (Fc)
0.30128 -0.52103271
0.60037 -0.22157957
0.92037 -0.03603556
0.09031597
4 1.23116
9
V
Log (V)
5.535 0.74311763
5.572 0.74601111
5.103 0.70782557
7.116 0.85223594
0.5
0
5
5.5
6.5
7.5
Velocity (m/s)
This graphs shape is linear and moving in the positive direction, meaning that as the velocity
increases, the centripetal force increases.
Romil Patel
SPH4U
0.2
0.1
0
-0.10.7
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
f(x)
1.72 0.78
0.72= 2.03x
0.74 -0.76
0.8
Log Velocity
The relationship between the logs of centripetal force and velocity is: y = (1.9 *10-2) x2.0265
2) Centripetal Force vs Period (Time)
Trial Fc
Log (Fc)
1 0.30128
-0.52103271
2 0.60037
-0.22157957
3 0.92037
-0.03603556
4 1.23116 0.090315979
T
0.769
6
0.482
6
0.458
0.434
4
Log (T)
-0.11373494
-0.31641268
-0.33913452
-0.36211018
Romil Patel
SPH4U
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.4
0.45
0.5
0.55
0.6
0.65
0.7
0.75
0.8
Period (s)
The graphs shape is linear and moving in the negative direction, meaning that as the period
increases, the centripetal force decreases.
Romil Patel
SPH4U
-0.4
f(x) -0.3
= - 2.19x --0.2
0.79
0
-0.1
-0.1 0
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
Log Period
The relationship between the logs of centripetal force and period is: y = (0.16) x-2.1902
Centripetal Force vs Frequency
Trial
1
2
3
4
Fc
Log (Fc)
f
Log (f)
0.30128 -0.52103271 1.299 0.113609151
0.60037 -0.22157957 2.072 0.316389751
0.92037 -0.03603556 2.183 0.339053736
1.23116 0.090315979 2.302 0.362105319
Romil Patel
SPH4U
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
Frequency (Hz)
The graphs shape is linear and moving in the positive direction, meaning that as frequency
increases, the centripetal force increases as well.
Romil Patel
SPH4U
2.19x - 0.79
0.1 f(x) = 0.2
0.3
-0.1 0
Log Centripetal Force
0.4
0.5
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
Log Frequency
The relationship between the logs of centripetal force and frequency is: y = (0.19) x2.1894
Centripetal Force vs Radius
Trial
1
2
3
4
Fc
Log (Fc)
R
0.30128 -0.52103271 0.678
0.60037 -0.22157957 0.428
0.92037 -0.03603556 0.372
1.23116 0.090315979 0.492
Log (R)
-0.168770306
-0.368556231
-0.42945706
-0.308034897
0.4
0.45
0.5
0.55
0.6
0.65
0.7
Radius (m)
Romil Patel
SPH4U
0
-0.2-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
Log Radius
Romil Patel
SPH4U
The relationship between the logs of centripetal force and radius is: y = (0.199) x-1.6634
3) During the course of the lab, there was a lot of possibility for errors. The most prominent one
included the spinning of the ball along the horizontal plane, as there was it was quite possible that
the ball was not being spun exactly horizontal; rather at an angle. This error caused us to have faulty
results for the radius, resulting in all the other calculations becoming skewed. Furthermore, another
error that could occurred is the error in measuring the radius as the person who is spinning the ball
may not stop the string at the proper spot and the one who measured the radius may not have
carefully placed the meter stick. Moreover, there was an error related to the reaction time, since the
person who was measuring the time could not have possibly stopped the timer at the exact moment
at which 10 circulations were complete; due to the fact that it is virtually impossible to have a
perfect reaction time. Another error that can be noted is when we rounded the time and radius to 3
decimal places; meaning that when we calculated velocity, the calculation would be more and more
off from the exact value.