University:
Monmouth University
Course:
PH-101 | Physics in Our Lives
Academic year:

2023
Views:

289

Pages:

5
Author:

uhlaza8tzpq

Centripetal Force in a Pig Lab Section I: Introduction OBJECTIVE: To measure the centripetal force using traditional circular motion formulas as well as using Newton’s laws and vectors. EQUIPMENT NEEDED: • • • • • • Stopwatch Toy plane Meter-stick Goggles Computer Electronic Balance PROCEDURE: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Gather all needed materials for the lab. Measure and record the length of the string that the pig is attached to. Measure and record the mass of the plane. Secure the flying pig and allow it to reach a consistent constant speed. Measure and record the time it takes for the plane to make ten revolutions. Measure and record the height of the room. Which of forces in the free body diagram is the “centripetal force”? Justify your answer The radius is the centripetal force because it is the force that pulls in the pig towards the center of the circle. Write the Equation of Motion for the horizontal direction in the box below ∑F = T = −x 1 ∑F T cos θ +x 2 2 Suppose the string were to break. Describe the path of the plane relative the “geometric plane” that it is traveling in. The path of the plane will go in any direction and velocity that the plane is in at that moment. It would fly off of the “geometric plane” and go out of the circle because their will no longer be any centripetal force. Data Table: Length of attached string 86 cm Period for 10 revolutions 15.86 sec for 10 revolutions Displacement from Ceiling 78 cm Height of Room 3.5 meters Mass of Pig 157.16 g Period .63 period Calculations: In the space below, determine the RADIUS of the circle the plane makes. Show all work! In the space below, calculate the VELOCITY of the plane. Show all work! In the space below, calculate the centripetal acceleration. Show all work! In the space below, calculate the centripetal force acting on the plane. Show all work! Solve for the tension in the string below IN TERMS of m,g, and θ . Then solve for the value numerically. Calculate the Centripetal Force acting on the plane below. Show all work! Calculate how LONG the plane would be in the air after the string breaks. Show all work! Calculate a % difference between the 2 values you found for the centripetal force. Account for any errors, which may have affected any large % difference. Errors: not measuring the correct displacement from the ceiling Results: After several calculations, we calculated the centripetal acceleration, centripetal force, radius, and velocity. The radius was 36.22 mm and the velocity was 1.885 m/s. We had a difference of 196%, which is way off. This means that we had an error or a couple of errors while performing the experiment because the percentage of difference should have been smaller and closer together. Improvements and ideas for a better lab include having a demonstration to understand what is needed and how to collect it, like the radius. The demonstration would show how to collect all necessary variables so none of them are missing for the calculations. Conclusion: The objective was accomplished because we calculated the centripetal force and other variables with formulas. An important thing was to understand Newton’s laws. I learned how a force can affect an object and the number of revolutions that it makes. The lab also taught me how different variables affect an object and how it moves around in a circle.