Principle of moments experiment

Apparatus:
Metre ruler, knife edge, set of 100g masses [M20C]

Diagram:
weight < distance , distance + weight =

knife"edge

centre of gra it$ of the ruler

Procedure:
1. Place the metre ruler (without the weights shown in the abo e diagram! on the knife"edge so that it is balanced. #he knife"edge should be roughl$ below the %0cm mark on the ruler. &ote down the 'recise 'osition of the knife"edge below the ruler to the nearest cm. #his is the 'osition of the ruler(s centre of gra it$. Place a 100g mass, a weight of 1&, called weight A in the diagram, near the left"hand end of the ruler as shown in the diagram abo e. #he ruler will ti' down on this side. Place a mass of 200g, a weight of 2&, called weight B in the diagram, on the right"hand side of the ruler as shown. Mo e this weight until the ruler balances (or near enough does!. Measure the distance L (in cm! between the centre of the 1& weight (A! and the knife"edge 'osition and the distance R (in cm! between the knife"edge 'osition and the 'osition of the 2& weight (B!. +ecord $our measurements in a co'$ of the table below in $our class book. ,ea e a lot of s'ace for $our results. Calculate the entries for (A x L) and (B x R). -eight A in newtons .istance L in cm -eight B in newtons .istance R in cm (A x L) in &cm (B x R) in &cm

2. ). *. %.

1.0

2.0

/.

+e'eat stages 2 to % for alues of weight (B! 0 )& to 1&. +emember to measure distance R to the centre of weight B. 2nter $our results into $our table +e'eat stages 2 to / with weight (A! 0 2& and for alues of weight (B! 0 )&, %& 4 3&. &ote $ou ma$ need to mo e weight (A! nearer to the knife"edge to achie e a balance. 5f $ou ha e time, tr$ some other combinations. e.g. weight (A! 0 %&6 weight (B! 0 2&.

3. 1.

Questions:
1. 2. 7or each weight combination, what do $ou notice about the alues of (A x L) and (B x R) ? #he 'rinci'le of moments in this situation states that when the ruler is balanced8 weig t (A) x Distance (L) ! weig t (B) x Distance (R) 29'lain how well $our results confirm this e:uation. ;se this e:uation to 'redict the unknown alues in the following cases8 (a! weight (<! 0 %&6 weight (=! 0 1%&6 .istance (,! 0 )0cm6 .istance (+! 0 > (b! weight (<! 0 )0&6 weight (=! 0 %&6 .istance (,! 0 %cm6 .istance (+! 0 > (c! weight (<! 0 1&6 .istance (,! 0 %0cm6 .istance (+! 0 10cm6 weight (=! 0 > (d! .istance (,! 0 2*cm6 .istance (+! 0 )/cm6 weight (=! 0 /&6 weight (<! 0 > (e! weight (<! 0 /0&6 weight (=! 0 12&6 .istance (+! 0 )/cm6 .istance (,! 0 > 21 @ctober 200) . 1.2

).

?#