Circular Motion

Measure the mass of a large rubber bung. Fasten it securely to a piece of thread. Pass the thread
through a 6cm long glass tube. Make a loop at the other end and hang a slotted weight from it.

rubber bung
glass tube

thread

slotted weights

Everyone needs on put on safety specs in case a bung comes loose. Hold the glass tube in your
hand with the weights hanging from the bottom. Twirl the bung round in a horizontal circle above
your head. Get it going at a constant speed with the thread not moving through the tube – this
means the centripetal force keeping the bung in a circle is supplied by the weight hanging from the
thread.

Your partner should now time ten cycles.

Catch the thread between your finger and thumb so it can’t move then stop swinging. Measure the
length of thread between the tube and the bung. This is the radius.

Calculate the angular velocity. This is 2𝜋⁄𝑇.

Calculate the centripetal force. This is 𝑚𝑟𝜔2 .

Compare the centripetal force to the weight hanging from the thread. Can you account for any
difference?

Next, repeat the experiment at different speeds and plot a graph of radius against time period.
What can you tell from this graph?

2𝜋 2
Remember that 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑟 ( 𝑇 ) . Plot a graph involving radius and time period that should give you a
straight line.

What does the gradient represent?