Experiment 06

FORCES & VECTORS

PROCEDURE

Exercise A:   1.    In this procedure, you will be using the force table, which is a horizontal plate with angles marked on the periphery. Pulleys with strings that support weight holders can be attached at any point on the circumference. All angles are measured from the 0° line, which we will take as the +x-axis.

2.    Place one of the pulleys at 0 degrees, and suspend a total (including the weight holder) weight of 2.94 N ( a mass of 300 g) from the string passing over the pulley. This will be called FORCE A.

3.    Place a second pulley at 90 degrees, and suspend a total weight of 1.47 N (a mass of 150 g) over this pulley. This will be called FORCE B.

 4.    By trial and error, determine the position of the third pulley and the force in newtons necessary to exactly balance the other two forces. This third force is the EQUILIBRANT. It is opposite in direction and equal in magnitude to the RESULTANT of the first two forces.

5.    Open up the Force Table Workbook and fill out the header information, and enter the magnitudes and the angles of FORCE A, FORCE B, and the EQUILIBRANT in the Exercise A area in the Data Table in cells B10:D11.
 

 Exercise B: 1.    In this procedure, you are to determine the EQUILIBRANT of three forces by experiment. Place the first pulley at 0.0°; and suspend a total weight from it of 0.685 N ( a mass of 70 g). Place a second pulley at 90 degrees, and suspend a total weight of 1.47 N (a mass of 150 g) over it. Place a third pulley at 215 degrees, and suspend a total weight of 1.96 N (a mass of 200 g) over it. By trial and error, determine the EQUILIBRANT.

2.    Repeat the same procedures as before, except now you will have three forces to find the EQUILIBRANT for. As before find the MAGNITUDE and DIRECTION of the EQUILIBRANT and enter the data for FORCE A, FORCE B, FORCE C, and the EQUILIBRANT in cells B29:E30 on the Worksheet.

  3. PRINT the Worksheet and use it to prepare your lab report.