EXPERIMENT 2

AIM
Use of screw gauge to
(a) measure diameter of a given wire,
(b) measure thickness of a given sheet; and
(c) determine volume of an irregular lamina.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

Wire, metallic sheet, irregular lamina, millimetre graph paper, pencil
and screw gauge.

D ESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS
With Vernier Callipers. you are usually able to measure length
accurately up to 0.1 mm. More accurate measurement of length, up
to 0.01 mm or 0.005 mm, may be made by using a screw gauge. As
such a Screw Gauge is an
instrument of higher precision than
a Vernier Callipers. You might have
observed an ordinary screw [Fig E2.1
(a)]. There are threads on a screw. The
separation between any two
consecutive threads is the same. The
screw can be moved backward or
forward in its nut by rotating it anti-
Fig.E 2.1 A screw (a) without nut (b) with nut
clockwise or clockwise [Fig E2.1(b)].
The distance advanced by the screw
when it makes its one complete
rotation is the separation between
two consecutive threads. This
distance is called the Pitch of the
screw. Fig. E 2.1(a) shows the pitch
(p) of the screw. It is usually 1 mm
or 0.5 mm. Fig. E 2.2 shows a
screw gauge. It has a screw ’S’
which advances forward or
backward as one rotates the head Fig.E 2.2: View of a screw gauge
C through rachet R. There is a linear
 EXPERIMENT 2
UNIT NAME

TOTAL READING
Total reading
= linear scale reading + circular scale reading × least count
= 0.5 + 2 × 0.001
= 0.502 cm

P
RINCIPLE
The linear distance moved by the screw is directly proportional to the
rotation given to it. The linear distance moved by the screw when it is
rotated by one division of the circular scale, is the least distance that
can be measured accurately by the instrument. It is called the least
count of the instrument.
pitch
Least count =
No. of divisions on circular scale

For example for a screw gauge with a pitch of 1mm and 100 divisions
on the circular scale. The least count is
1 mm/100 = 0.01 mm
This is the smallest length one can measure with this screw gauge.
In another type of screw gauge, pitch is 0.5 mm and there are 50
divisions on the circular scale. The least count of this screw gauge
is 0.5 mm/50 = 0.01 mm. Note that here two rotations of the
circular scale make the screw to advance through a distance of 1
mm. Some screw gauge have a least count of 0.001 mm (i.e. 10–6
m) and therefore are called micrometer screw.
(a) Measurement of Diameter of a Given Wire

P
ROCEDURE
1. Take the screw gauge and make sure that the rachet R on the
head of the screw functions properly.
2. Rotate the screw through, say, ten complete rotations and observe
the distance through which it has receded. This distance is the
reading on the linear scale marked by the edge of the circular
scale. Then, find the pitch of the screw, i.e., the distance moved by
the screw in one complete rotation. If there are n divisions on the
circular scale, then distance moved by the screw when it is rotated
through one division on the circular scale is called the least count
of the screw gauge, that is,
pitch
Least count =
n
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LABORATORY MANUAL
LABORATORY MANUAL

3. Insert the given wire between the screw and the stud of the screw
gauge. Move the screw forward by rotating the rachet till the wire
is gently gripped between the screw and the stud as shown in
Fig. E 2.5. Stop rotating the rachet the moment you hear a click
sound.
4. Take the readings on the linear scale and the circular scale.
5. From these two readings, obtain the diameter of the wire.
6. The wire may not have an exactly
circular cross-section. Therefore. it is
necessary to measure the diameter of the
wire for two positions at right angles to
each other. For this, first record the
reading of diameter d1 [Fig. E 2.6 (a)]
and then rotate the wire through 90° at
the same cross-sectional position.
Record the reading for diameter d2 in this
position [Fig. E 2.6 (b)].
7. The wire may not be truly cylindrical.
Fig.E 2.6 (a): Two magnified views (a) and (b) of a wire
showing its perpendicular diameters d1
Therefore, it is necessary to measure the
and d2. d2 is obtained after the rotating diameter at several different places and
the wire in the clockwise direction obtain the average value of diameter. For
through 90°. this, repeat the steps (3) to (6) for three
more positions of the wire.
8. Take the mean of the different values of diameter so obtained.
9. Substract zero error, if any, with proper sign to get the corrected
value for the diameter of the wire.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATION

The length of the smallest division on the linear scale = ... mm
Distance moved by the screw when it is rotated
through x complete rotations, y = ... mm

y
Pitch of the screw = = ... mm
x

Number of divisions on the circular scale n = ...

Least Count (L.C.) of screw guage

pitch
= = ... mm
No. of divisions on the circular scale

Zero error with sign (No. of div. × L. C.) = ... mm

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 EXPERIMENT 2
UNIT NAME

Table E 2.1: Measurement of the diameter of the wire

S. Reading along Reading Measured

No. one direction along diameter
(d1) perpendicular
direction (d2) d1 + d2
d=
2
Linear Circular Diameter Linear Circular Diameter
scale scale d1 = M + n × L.C. scale scale d = M + n × L.C.
reading reading reading reading 2 (mm)
M (mm) (n) (mm) M (mm) (n) (mm)

Mean diameter = ... mm

Mean corrected value of diameter
= measured diameter – (zero error with sign) = ... mm

R ESULT
The diameter of the given wire as measured by screw gauge is ... mm

P RECAUTIONS
1. Rachet arrangement in screw gauge must be utilised to avoid undue
pressure on the wire as this may change the diameter.
2. Move the screw in one direction else the screw may develop “play”.
3. Screw should move freely without friction.
4. Reading should be taken atleast at four different points along the
length of the wire.
5. View all the reading keeping the eye perpendicular to the scale to
avoid error due to parallax.

S
OURCES OF ERROR
1. The wire may not be of uniform cross-section.
2. Error due to backlash though can be minimised but cannot be
completely eliminated.
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