Conical Pendulum Lab Activity

Objective: To verify that centripetal acceleration is given by a=v2/r

Theory: Describe the conical pendulum

Diagram:

Procedure:
1. Set up apparatus as shown in the diagram above.
2. Draw‘target circles’ of different radii to be traced out by pendulum.
3. Record the radius and length of string and allow the pendulum to swing in a
horizantal circle.
4. Use a stop watch to measure the time taken to make 10 oscillations (make sure to
do atleast 2 trials)
5. Repeat step 3 and 4 for different radii. ( ENSURE THAT THE RATION
BETWEEN THE LENGTH OF THE STRING AND THE RADIUS IS KEPT
CONSTANT) Suggested r:l = 1:7
6. Tabulate results.

Data Collected:
Circle Radius/m Length of Time taken Period(T)/s Velocity2(v2
) 2 -2
String/m for 10 ms
oscillations/
s
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

Data Analysis:

1. Sample calculations of the period of the pendulum and the velocity squared.
2. Plot a graph of v2 vs r
3. From graph calculate the centripetal acceleration of the pendulum
4. Draw a labeled free body diagram showing the forces acting on the bob
5. Using the formulas for TSin(theta) and TCos(theta), calculate the centipetal
acceleration.

Discussion:
1. Why is the centripetal acceleration constant and why was it necessary to keep the
ratio between r and l constant.
2. Compare your experimental acceleration to your calculated one.

Simple Harmonic Motion Lab Activity

Objective : To investigate simple harmonic motion in the ‘small amplitude’

oscillations of a spring-mass system

Diagram 1

Instructions:
Part A
1. Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram above
2. Give the spring mass system a small vertical displacement and measure the time it
takes to make 20 oscillations. ( Do at least two trials). From this, calculate the period
3. Repeat step two for 6 other masses.
4. Tabulate the data a plot a graph of T2 vs m

PartB
1. Set up the apparatus as show in the diagram above.
2. Measure the time taken for the system to make 20 oscillations and then calculate
the period.
3. Repeat step two after setting up the apparatus as seen in diagram 3 above.
Data Analysis
Part A
1. Using the equation T= 2pi root m/k, show that the gradient of the graph is 4pi
squared/k
2. Hence solve for the spring constant.
3. Would the spring constant change if the spring was being oscillated on the moon
where the acceleration due to gravity is one sixth of that on earth? Why or why not?

4. In plotting the data, supposed we want to plot T along the y-axis. Analyzing
equations explain what we should plot along the x-axis in this case, so as to get a
straight line? What does the slope of this graph give..

5. Calculate the spring constant for the springs in series (ks) and in parallel (kp)

6. Show that k/ks = 2 = kp/k

Discussion:
1. Comment on the relationship between the mass, the period and the period squared.
2. Comment on the difference between the spring constant in series and the spring
constant in parallel