Circular Motion Experiment

What’s the experiment about?

In this experiment, an object in uniform circular motion moves by a force directed at the
centre of the circle, the centripetal force, at a constant speed.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between mass of weights and time taken for 1 oscillation
Hypothesis: The mass of weights is inversely proportional to the time taken for 1 oscillation
The greater the mass, the shorter span of time taken for 1 oscillation of orbiting the rubber
stopper.
Control Variable: Mass of weight
Measured Variable: Time taken for N oscillation of orbiting the rubber stopper
Constant Variable:
 Type of string
 Mass of rubber stopper
 Length of string
 Distance between plastic handle and crocodile clip

Apparatus:
 Meter ruler
 Plastic handle
 Weights
 Weight hanger
 Crocodile clip
 String
 Stop watch
 Rubber stopper
Weight Rubber
hanger String stopper
Setup: Scissors

Plastic
Rubber handle
stopper

Crocodile Weights
clip
PROCEDURE:
1. Through the hole of the rubber stopper, the string will be threaded through and the
string should be tied on itself.

2. The free end of the string should be threaded through the handle. The thread length
between the rubber stopper and handle should be around one metre.

3. One hand will hold the free end of the thread whereas the other will hold the handle.
Slowly spin the rubber stopper in a horizontal circle above the head.

4. Make sure to rotate at continious speed with rubber stopper as wells as release some
string out so that the circle’s radius will be increased.

5. After that, the string should be returned to its initial position. A crocodile clip should
be placed below the handle and over the thread. A loop should be tied at the free end
of the thread. Place the hanger on the loop and put a weight on the hanger.

6. Then, begin to slowly rotate the rubber stopper above the head. Till the crocodile clip
is underneath the plastic handle, the speed of rotation should be increasing.

7. The time taken for 20 oscillations should be calculated with stopwatch

8. Do the steps 1-7 with different weights.

9. Create a table using the results of the experiment and construct a graph along.

Safety measures:
 All persons involved must wear safety googles
 Make sure nobody is near when the apparatus is swinging to ensure it hit them
 Check whether the materials are working before starting the experiment.
 There should be staff/teacher present in the lab when conducting the experiment

Table:
M/g Time taken, t for 20 oscillations Time taken,t 1
∕ s−2
for 1 T 2

oscillation,t/
s
1 2 3 Average
10 13.22 12.10 12.17 12.50 0.63 2.52
20 12.13 11.39 11.58 11.70 0.59 2.87
30 11.02 10.56 10.92 10.83 0.54 3.43
40 9.01 8.90 9.27 9.06 0.45 4.94
50 8.43 8.51 8.04 8.33 0.42 5.67
60 7.40 8.67 8.50 8.19 0.41 5.95
Data Analysis:
Rubber stopper’s mass=12.44g , Radius(r) = 0.4m , Gravity (g)=9.8ms -2
g
=gradient
4 Π 2 rm
g
=4 π 2 rm
gradient
g
2 =m
4 π r ( gradient )
9 ⋅8
m= 2
4 Π r ( gradient )
9.8
m= 2
4 Π ( 0 ⋅4 )( 77 )

m=8.059 X 10-3kg

m=8.06g

Coordinates for gradient: (60, 5.95), (20, 2.87

2.87−5.95
m= 0.02−0.06

= 77

Using the information above, the % Error is calculated to see how close the experimental
value is to the actual value.
experimental value−actual value
% Error= x 100
actual value

8.06−12.44
= x 100
12.44

=35.21%
Background theory:
The centripetal force is caused by gravitational force in the experiment, and is always
mv 2
towards the centre of the circle. Centripetal force is calculated using the formula F c = .
r
1 Mg
The equation for the experiment is 2 = which is formed from
T 4 π 2 rm
1 Mg
2
= 2 x M using Newton’s second law of motion F=ma and v= distance
T 4 π rm time
Formula for centripetal force:

Evaluation and Error Discussion:

The collected data shows that the hypothesis is proven as there is a positive correlation
1 −2
between the mass and 2 / s in the graph. The average time taken for 1 oscillation of orbiting
T
the rubber stopper decreases as mass increases. The calculation above are shown to compare
the accuracy and precision of the experiment conducted. The precision of the experiment is
high as the scattered points are near to the drawn best fit line. Experiment was repeated 3
times to reduce the random error. Thus, this indicates that there’s possibilities of random
errors slightly affecting the results. The number of rotations affects the random where a
greater number of rotations will result in smaller effect of random errors. Reaction time of
human at starting and stopping the stopwatch could act as a random error. Another possible
error could have caused by the person who spins the apparatus may have gotten tired or
different people spins the apparatus thus varying in different speeds which alters the time
taken for 20 oscillations. Maintaining the same radius while spinning the rubber stopper for
the whole experiment was a difficult task.

As shown above, the percentage error is 35.21% which is high and the graph doesn’t go
through the origin thus proving that the experiment’s accuracy is low though the graph is
directly proportional. There are possible systematic errors affecting the accuracy despite
following the procedure. Accuracy of the experiment is related with systematic errors.
Another factor could have an additional force acting on the experiment such as air resistance
as there’s collisions of the object with the air molecules and it was conducted in air-
conditioned lab. This may affect with the speed of oscillation. Secondly, variable string
thickness is the possible systematic error. During the experiment, string thickness could have
become thinner and weaker due to the contact and the force exerted between plastic handle
and string which could affect the radius of the motion. The reliability of the experiment
cannot be said as different people conducted with different hypothesis. The evaluation of
experiment concludes that despite all the errors which could have affected the data, the
hypothesis of the experiment is still proven.
Conclusion:
There should be a centripetal force acting upon the object in order for an object to achieve a
uniform circular motion (motion in a circle at a constant speed). The object's direction can
only
change with centripetal force presence.

Relating to this experiment, the time taken to get 1 oscillation decreases whereas the mass
increases. As the mass increases, the centripetal force also tends to increase so that the
oscillation of the rubber stopper occurs in a uniform circular motion thus speed of orbiting
increases. Speed of the rotation could not have been the same throughout the whole
experiment as there might be a change in person or may gotten tired thus increasing effect of
random error. The experiment was repeated three times for each weight to be more accurate.
Overall, the experiment was fairly conducted and the hypothesis of the experiment is proven
though the accuracy is distorted as there were potential systematic errors disturbing the
results as mentioned above.