Lab Report.

09

PHY_1104
PHYSICS LABORATORY

Submitted By
Md. Zulfiqar Ali Sakib
ID. 021192027
Section. A

Submitted To
Muhammad Al-Imran Tuhin
Assistant Professor
Institute of Natural Sciences (INS)
United International University (UIU)

Submission: 20.05.2021

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

United International University
Experiment No. 09
Name of the Experiment: Determination of the moment of inertia of the given
disc using Torsion pendulum by the method of oscillations (Dynamic
Method).
PROCEDURE FOR SIMULATION:

1. The radius of the suspension wire is measured using a screw gauge.

2. The length of the suspension wire is adjusted to suitable values like 0.3m,
0.4m,0.5m,.....0.9m, 1m etc.
3. The disc is set in oscillation. Find the time for 20 oscillations twice and determine the
mean period of oscillation ' T0 '.
4. The two identical masses are placed symmetrically on either side of the suspension wire
as close as possible to the centre of the disc, and measure d1 which is the distance
between the centres of the disc and one of the identical masses.
5. Find the time for 20 oscillations twice and determine the mean period of oscillation 'T1'.
6. The two identical masses are placed symmetrically on either side of the suspension wire
as far as possible to the centre of the disc, and measure d2 which is the distance between
the centres of the disc and one of the identical masses.
7. Find the time for 20 oscillations twice and determine the mean period of oscillation 'T2'.
8. Find the moment of inertia of the disc using the given formulae.

APPARATUS:

1. A uniform wire
2. Two identical cylindrical masses
3. Suitable clamp
4. Stopwatch
 5. Screw gauge
6. Given torsional pendulum
7. Vernier scale
8. Meter scale etc.

EXPERIMENTAL DATA:

(A) Mass of each identical masses, m = .005 kg

(B) Length of the suspension wire, l =
(C) Radius of the suspension wire, r = 0.04 cm =
(D) d1 = 1.5 cm. d2 = 4 cm.
(E) Radius of the disc, a = 5 cm.
(F) Mass of the disc or cylinder, M = 1 kg.
(G) Moment of Inertia of the cylinder (using simulator),
1 5
I = ½Ma2 = 2 × 1 × (1000)2 = 1.25 × 10−5 = 0.00125

(H) Table for the time period, T =

Time for 10 oscillations (s)

Length of Period of
With mass at d1 (t1 With mass at d2 (t2
the Without mass (t0 s) oscillation (s)
No. s) s) Mean
suspens
of 𝑇 2
𝑇02
ion wire, 0
obs. 1 2 Mean 1 2 Mean 1 2 Mean 𝑇02 𝑇12 𝑇22 2 2 2 2
l
(s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) (s) 𝑇2 − 𝑇1 𝑇2 − 𝑇1
(cm)

1 30 38.44 38.29 38.365 38.61 38.77 38.69 39.36 39.41 39.385 3.84 3.87 3.94 26.97

2 40 45.69 45.51 45.60 46.01 45.97 45.99 44.7 44.61 44.655 4.56 4.59 4.46 -17.67
3 50 49.81 49.6 49.705 50.84 51.11 50.975 49.91 49.78 49.845 4.97 5.097 4.98 -20.95
-11.29
4 60 54.23 54.39 54.31 55.24 55.42 55.33 54.44 54.51 54.475 5.43 5.53 5.45 -33.57
5 70 58.42 58.31 58.365 59.60 59.67 59.635 58.55 58.63 58.59 5.84 5.96 5.86 -28.85
6 80 62.74 62.52 62.63 63.13 63.33 63.23 62.39 62.24 62.315 6.26 6.32 6.23 6.32

CALCULATION:
𝑇02 = 𝑇12 = 𝑇22 =
Moment of inertia of the given disc is,
𝑇2
𝐼0 = 2𝑚(𝑑22 − 𝑑12 ) 𝑇 2 −𝑇
0
2 = 2 × 5 × 10
−3
× (0.042 − 0.0152 ) × (−11.29)
2 1

−4
= | − 1.55 × 10 | = 1.55 × 10−4 [∵ the value of “Moment Of Inertia” cannot be “Negative”]

Difference = [(Experimental Result - Theoretical Result)/Theoretical Result] x 100%

 (1.55×10−4 −1.25×10−5 )
=[ ] × 100%
1.25×10−5

= 11.4%
Accuracy = 100% - % Difference = (100 - 11.4) = 88.6%
Result:
The moment of inertia of the given disc is, I0 = 1.55 × 10−4
“As we can see that the value of moment of inertia we got at the first place is negative. We detected that
the virtual simulation laboratory’s experiment was a bit confusing as it was fluctuating continuously
while the same values were entered. For this reason we were struggling taking experimental values and
our experiment accuracy is poor <97%. But as we know as per natural phenomena the values for
moment of inertia can only be positive, just as mass can only be positive. So, we take the positive value
on consideration for our experiment.”

DISCUSSIONS:

Q1. How do the length and diameter of the wire affect the period of oscillation of a torsional
pendulum?

Answer: Yes, the length and diameter of the wire affect the pendulum's period of oscillation. The longer
the length of the string, the larger is the period of oscillation of the torsional pendulum, due to lower
frequency which suggests that the pendulum will take less time to complete a cycle than a pendulum
with a shorter length of wire. And for the diameter, the larger the number of the length of diameter, the
larger is the period of oscillation of the torsional pendulum.

Q2. What type of oscillation did you observe in this experiment? Explain.

Answer: A torsion pendulum is analogous to a mass-spring oscillator. Instead of a mass at the end of a
helical spring, which oscillates back and forth along a straight line, however, it has a mass at the end of
a torsion wire, which rotates back and forth. To set the mass-spring in motion, you displace the mass
from its equilibrium position by moving it in a straight line and then releasing it.

Q3. On what factors does the time period of oscillation depend?

Answer: There are four factors which act to lengthen the period of the pendulum as follows,

1. The increase in the moment of inertia due to the masses of the added weights
2. The change in dimensions of the suspending wire
3. The decreased torsional stiffness of this wire
4. The energy used in raising and lowering the disk

Q4. Does the period of oscillation depend on the amplitude of oscillation of the cylinder?

Answer: The period of oscillation does depend on the amplitude. The pendulum is not quite a simple
harmonic oscillator, but provided the angular amplitude is kept small, this is a small effect.

Q5. How will the period of oscillation be affected if the bob of the pendulum be made heavy?
Answer: The mass of the bob does not affect the period of oscillation of a pendulum because the mass
of the bob is being accelerated toward the ground at a constant rate - the gravitational constant,
g(9.81m/s^2).

Q6. On what factors does the degree accuracy of the result depend?

Answer: Factors on which the result depends as following,

1. Our reaction time

2. Pendulum precision (Length and the acceleration due to gravity)
3. Virtual Lab’s precision of experiment simulation