EXPERIMENT 6

www. To find the weight ofagiven body using parallelogram law of vectors.
APPARATUS
Parallelogram law of forces apparatus (Gravesand's apparatus), plumb line, two hangers with
slotted weights, a body (a wooden block) whose weight is to be determined, thin strong or thread, white
drawing paper sheet, drawing pins, mirror strip, sharp pencil, half metre scale, set squares, protractor.

THEORY
If the body of unknown weight S suspended from middle hanger, balances weights P and Q

suspended from other two hargers, then P +Q + S =

0

or S= P+Q +2PQ cos ...(1)

The unknown weight can be calculated from equation (1).
DIAGRAM

P2

Y x

G
U

Fig. Gravesand's apparatus.

PROCEDURE
apparatus with its board vertical, (tested with the help of plumb line).
a
1. Set up the Gravesand's
2. Test that pulleys P, and P, are frictionless. Oil them, if necessary.
3. Fix the white drawing paper sheets on the board with the help of drawing pins.
thread and tie their one end together to make knot O. This knot
4. Take three pieces of strong
becomes junction of the three threads.
some slotted weights in each. These serve
5. From the other ends of two threads, tie a hanger with
the weights P andQ. From the other end of third thread tie the given body
S.
as
6. Pass threads with weights P and Q over the pulleys and let the third thread with given body S,
middle of the board.
stay vertical in the
7. Adjust the weights P and Q (forces) such that the junction O stays in equilibrium slightly below
the middle of the paper.
 See t h a t a l tiIe wciB

white paper sheet by a sharp pencil.

10. Mark the position ofjunction O on the
Disturb weights P and Qand
leave them.
11.
earlier position. (If not, oil the pullan..
12. Note position of junction O. It
must be very close to pulleys to-
remove friction.)
under each thread, mark the position of the ends of the
he im.
image
13. Keeping mirror strip lengthwise
the thread (this removes parallax error) T.
of thread in the mirror, covering the image by he
positions are P, P, for thread ofweight P, Q,
and Q, for thread of weight Q and S,, S, for thread
of weight S as shown in figure.
C

P-150 9 a- 150 9

S-2009
D

S2
Fig. Determination of weight of a wooden block.
14. Remove paper from the board.

15. With the help of a half metre scale draw lines through points
P, and P, to represent P, through
points Q and Q, to represent Q and through points
meet at point O.
S, and s, to represent S. These lines must
16. Taking a scale, 1 cm =
50 g, take OA
=3 cm and OB 3
=
cm to represent P 150 g and
Q-150 g
17. Complete parallelogram OACB using set squares
and join OC. It represents R.
18. Measure OC. It comes to be 3.9 cm.
OBSERVATION

balance =....g
Least count of spring
of spring balance g
=
. . .

Zero error
balance
Weight of unknown body by spring g
=
....

Let 1 cm = 50g.
Scale.
Forces Sides
Unknown
Weight
Resultant Error
Serial by spring
OA OB OC forceR weightS balance
No. of
Obs (cm) (cm) (cm) gwt) gwt) (gwt) gwt)
(gwt) gwt)
3 3 3.9 195 195 200
150 150
1
2.

3.

(Note. Observation 1 is given

as sample)

CALCULATIONS

OC 3.9 cm, R = 50 x 3.9 = 195 g

Unknown weight, S = 195g.

Mean unknown weight, S =

"

S,+St
3
-195 g =195 g

Weight by spring balance = 200 g

Difference-5g
RESULT
The unknown weight of given body = 195 g

The error is within the limits of experiment

error.

PRECAUTIONS
1. The board should be stable and vertical.
2. The pulleys should be frictionless.

3. The hangers should not touch the board or table.

4. Junction O should be in the middle of the paper sheet.

. Points should be marked only when weights are at rest.

6. Points should be marked with sharp penci.

.Arrows should be marked to show direction of forces.
A proper scale should be taken to make fairly big parallelogram.
Motion

EXPERIMENT 7
Using a simple pendulum, plot itsL-T graph and use it to find the effective length ofsecond's

wwpendulum.
APPARATUS

A clamp with stand, a split cork, thread, bob, Vernier Callipers, stopclock/watch, metre scale

of chalk.
and a piece

THEORY

1. Simple Pendulum. Anideal simplependulumconsists ofaheavypoint mass (called bob) tied to one
end of a perfectly inextensible, flexible and weightless string. There is no ideal simple pendulum.
In practice, we make a simple pendulum by tying a metallic sphericalbob to a fine cottpn stitching
thread.

2. Length of Simple Pendulum. The distance between the point of suspension ofthependulum
and its C.G. (whichis C.G. of the bob), is called the lengthofthe simple pendulum. It is represented
by the symbol l.

length of thread + length of hook of bob + mean radius of the

Length of simple pendulum =

sphericalbob

i.e. = l'+h +r
3. Time Period of the Simple Pendulum. Time taken by the bob of the simple pendulum to
make one complete vibration, is called the time period of the simple pendulum. It is represented
by the symbol T.

The time period is given by the formula,

T 2T

or
72 4
8

Or
4T

Knowing the value of Tand g,l can be calculated.

 Split Clamp
Cork
S S S
Stand
Thread

Mg 130 cm
Ms 120 cm
Table Ma 110 cm
Ma 100 cm
Ma 90 cm
M,80 cm

Hook
Lab
floor G- Bob
5 cm 5 cm
(a) (b) (c)

Fig. (a) Simple Pendulum.

(6) Effective length of simple pendulum, l= V +h +r
(c) Marks on thread.

PROCEDURE
1. Find the vernier constant and zero error of the vernier callipers and record it (as im

Experiment 1).
2.
2. Determine the mean diameter of the spherical bob (as in Experiment 1). Find the meanrad
()ofthe bob.
3 Find the length h of the hook attached to the bob by metre scale and record it.
4. Take a cotton thread about 2 metres long and tie its one end with the hook.
5. Put ink marks, M1, M2, Mg, . on the thread as distance of 80 cm, 90 cm, 100 cm, 110
ength
120 cm, 130 cm, ..... from the centre of gravity of the bob. These distances give effectiveieg
(D of the simple pendulum.
6. Pass the thread through the two split parts of a cork with the thread coming out just
80 cm mark.
7. Tight the two half cork pieces between the clamp. I n h o r a t o r y
 3. Table for Length () and time (T)
Time for 20 vibrations Time period
S. No. Lengthof
Pendulum T=
of Thread Mean 72
t2 3 20
Obs. T 1=l +h+r
(s) (s)
(cm) (cm) (s) (6)
1 78.4 80.0 35 37 36 36 1.8 3.24

2. 88.4 90.0 38 38 38 38 1.9 3.61

3 98.4 100.0 40 40 40 40 2.0 4.00

4. 108.4 110.0 41 42 42 42 2.1 4.41

118.4 120.0 43 45 44 44 2.2 4.84

5.

45 46 46 2.28 5.20
6 128.4 130.0 47

(Note. Observations are given as sample and t is taken as 10)

CALCULATIONS

(a) With the table

For each length, write mean time for 20 vibrations,

tt t T
3

Write mean values oft in column (3) of above table.

of
For each length, find time period T= s and write its value in column 4 and write value
20

T in column 5 of the above table.

graph. Plot a graph between I (column, 26) and T2 (column 5) by taking i a
X-axis and T along Yaxis. The graph comes to be a straight line.
GRAPH

Graph between l and T tor a simple pendulum

Scale
X-axis: 1 cm =
10 cm of
5.2 Y-axis: 1 cm 0.4 s of T

4.8

4.4

4.0

3.6

3.2

2.6 90 110 120

130
130 xX
O 70 80 90 100
Length of pendulum () in cm

l and T* for a simple pendulum. It is a straight line.

Fig. Graph between
The graph is a straight line because,

and T 1
T 2 c

From this graph, for T =

4,1 comes to be 100 cm.

Hence for second's pendulum (T= 2 s) length comes to be 100 cm.

RESULT
Experimental length =100 cm

Actual length 99.4 cm

Error = 0.6 cm
0.6x 10o =0.6%
Percentage error 99.4
This error is within the limit of the experimental error

PRECAUTIONS
inextensible.
1, Thread should be strong, weightless and
2. Point of suspension should be fixed in a rigid support.
 °'S

3. Lower faces of split cork should be in

same level.

4. Splitting should be perpendicular to the plane of vibration of the pendulum.

Amplitude should be small to have sin 0 0. [when 0s 18]

=
5.

6. The bob should move along a straight line.

7. The bob should not spin during vibration.
8. Place of experiment should be free from disturbances of building vibrations or
air
current.

9. Laboratory fan should be switched off.

of bob.
10. Length of pendulum should include length of hook and radius
11. Counting should be proper and started from zero.

12. Clock/watch should be accurate.

of 10 cm to bring appreciable change in time
13. Length of pendulum should be increased in steps
period.
14. Metre scale used should be accurate.