​ ​ ​ ​ Static equilibrium lab

Your task is to test whether the conditions of equilibrium are applicable to the behavior of this
situation by predicting:

1. The scale reading of the spring scale the whole apparatus is suspended from.

2. The position of the 100-g object if the 200-g block and the spring scale are arranged as shown
in the figure below. The indicated distances are relative to the left end of the meter stick.

Remember, since this is a testing experiment you need to make these predictions before you
perform the experiment. You will have access to a spring scale, platform scale, meter stick, ring
stand, and thread

The conditions of equilibrium are: 𝛴F=0 and m1d1 + m2d2…=m3d3+m4d4…

In your bin, you should have: a 200g block, a hanger of variable mass, a spring scale. The whole
apparatus can be supported from a ring stand.

In your write-up, be sure to pay attention to the following points:

a. What is the hypothesis that you are going to test in this experiment?

The hypothesis being tested in this experiment is that the conditions of static equilibrium
apply to the apparatus.

The system is in static equilibrium if the sum of forces acting on the meter stick is 0.
Basically, we will test if the spring scale reading is equal to the weight of the system (meter
stick + weights) and what position the 100 g block must be at for the system to balance out.

b. Draw a labeled sketch of the experimental set‐up.

d. Devise a mathematical procedure that you can use to make your prediction. State specifically
how the prediction is based on the hypothesis being tested. What assumptions are you making in
your mathematical procedure? Remember that an assumption is a simplification that you are
making in the way you are thinking about the situation.

Mathematical Procedure:

1.​ Determine the total force acting on the system

Equation:

M1d1+m2d2 = m3d3

T = (W1+w2+w3)g
Assumption:

1.​ Mass in ruler is uniform so we can place FE point down from the center of the meter
stick
2.​ Forces other than the 2 weights, earth, and the spring acted on stick are negligible.

e. What if the assumption of the location of the center of mass of the stick is not valid? How
might it affect your prediction?

If the location of the center of mass is not valid, this can affect our prediction that the
readings on the scale would be inaccurate instead of what it is supposed to be.

f. Do you need to assume that the meter stick is horizontal in this experiment? How can you
evaluate whether or not this assumption is reasonable?

If the stick is not horizontal, forces and torques for all of our measured values would be
wrong.

g. Can you assume that the meter stick is massless? How would making this assumption affect
the prediction?

Not all the time, because if the weight of the stick is a lot, it’s weight will affect torque.
Technically, if we assumed that the stick was massless, it would make calculation easier, but
will definitely create an error because the meter stick may have a significant effect on
torque.

h. Predict the reading of the scale and the position of the 100‐g block using your mathematical
procedure. First choose the origin of the coordinate system at the location where the spring scale
is attached. Then, use the pattern developed yesterday to determine the position of the 100g
block.

So first we should figure out what d1 and d2 are. (d3 is really just 0 because the distances
are referring to on the meter stick)

To find d1:

We know 200g block is at 15 cm and pivot point is at 35 cm

D1 = 15-35 = -20 cm

To find d2:

So this is a little weird because we will have to incorporate a variable because we are trying
to find where to position the 100 g block
D2 = x-35

If we plug that into the eq:

(0.2*-20) + 0.1(x-35) = 0

-4 + 0.1x - 3.5 = 0

X = 75 cm

So from this we know that the 100 g block should be placed at 75 cm on the stick, or 40 cm
away from the pivot point.

Spring Scale will be placed at 35 cm.

i. Write out the results of your experiment below.

j.Repeat the analysis only this, select the origin of your coordinate system to be the location Do
you get the same prediction for the scale reading and the desired location of the 100-g block? If
not, resolve the inconsistency.

In that last part you used an interesting and powerful property of Newton’s second law for
rotational motion. You applied the rotational equilibrium condition twice, with two different
choices of origin, and the predictions in each case were identical. You are always able to choose
the location of the origin wherever you wish. This can be very powerful in problem-solving
because forces exerted at the origin do not exert torques and hence will not show up in the
equation for rotational equilibrium. If you do not know the magnitude or direction of a particular
force being exerted on the system of interest, it is therefore extremely useful to be able to choose
the location of the origin to be where that force is exerted.

j. What is the outcome of the experiment? Is it consistent with the prediction within experimental
uncertainty? If not, how might the assumptions contribute to the difference between the
prediction and the outcome?
k. If you did not get the stick to balance when the 100g mass was at the predicted location, how
can you model your system so that you are making as few assumptions as possible. Use this
improved method to make new predictions. Repeat part k.

l. Given the consistency of the prediction and outcome, and the effects of the assumptions you
made, make a judgment about the hypothesis you are testing.