Torques Lab Report

Lab Essay 8 for Experiment 11

The torque due to the weight of the meter stick is not included in the equations for parts 1 and 2 because the meter stick was at its center of mass. Parts 3 and 4 had us move the meter stick away from its center of mass, so we therefore had to include it in our calculations then.

IF we had used a lighter meter stick, it would not have changed the results obtained for parts 1 and 2, but the results for parts 3 and 4. The theoretical values for m2 in parts 1 and the theoretical x2 value of part 2 will not change. Since the theoretical m1 value of part 3 and the theoretical x2 value of part 4 both depend on the mass of the stick. The theoretical values will both decrease. The values we obtain as the balancing factors will also decrease. This will be true as the location of the clams stay the same on the meter stick.

If this experiment were to be repeated on an elevator accelerating upward, none of the obtained values for parts 1-4 would change. This is because the equations required to calculate the respective values do not depend on the normal force. Normal force is the only variable that changes in this scenario. The only force the calculations are dependent on is gravitational force.

Data and Calculations Worksheet

m1 = 100.5 g = .1005 kg

xcm (center of mass)= 49.3 cm

Part I: x0 = xcm,

Table 1 Table 1 (converted units)

m [g] x [cm] m [kg] x [m]

1 82.6 60 1 0.0826 0.6

2 41.7 30 2 0.0417 0.3

Part II: x0 = xcm,

Table 2 Table 2 (converted units)

m [g] x [cm] m [kg] x [m]

1 82.6 60 1 0.0826 0.6

2 41.7 30 2 0.0417 0.3

Part III: x0 = 20 cm,

Table 3 Table 3 (converted units)

m [g] x [cm] m [kg] x [m]

1 302.2 10 1 0.3022 0.1

Part IV: x0 = 20 cm,

Table 4 Table 4 (converted units)

m [g] x [cm] m [kg] x [m]

1 322.2 5 1 0.3222 0.05

2 41.7 64.4 2 0.0417 0.644

Part I:

m_2^((theo))=((x_0-x_1)/(x_2- x_0 ))m_1= 0.046 kg

%-error(m_2)=(〖|m〗_2^((theo))-m_2^((exp))

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