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ACTIVITY/ EXPERIMENT NO. 3

STATIC EQUILIBRIUM

ABSTRACT

When all of the forces acting on an object are balanced, the thing is said to be in an equilibrium
state. When an object is in equilibrium, its forces are balanced. The crucial word for describing
equilibrium conditions is "balanced." If the rightward forces are balanced by the leftward forces and
the upward forces are balanced by the descending forces, the forces are said to be balanced. To be in
equilibrium, an object must be experiencing no acceleration. This indicates that the object's net force
and torque must both be zero. As a result, the net force is 0 and the acceleration is 0 m/s/s. Equilibrium
objects must have an acceleration of 0 m/s/s. This is an extension of Newton's first law of motion.
However, an acceleration of 0 m/s/s does not imply that the object is at rest. A rigid body is said to be
in equilibrium when its linear and angular accelerations are both zero relative to an inertial frame of
reference. This indicates that an equilibrium body can move, but its linear and angular velocities must
be constant. When a rigid body is at rest in our chosen frame of reference, we say it is in static
equilibrium.

OBJECTIVES
1. Confirm Newton's Law of Inertia and provide an operational definition.
2. Characterize forces in equilibrium and provide static equilibrium conditions.
3. Forces and/or masses involving forces in equilibrium must be calculated.

DATA/ RESULTS
Angle Tension Newton Mass Experimental Mass Actual
ɵ (N) (g) (g) % Error
10 0.9 N 500g 508.5 g 1.7
15 1.4 N 500g 508.5 g 1.7

Computations
Given:

1kg = 1000g
1N = 1kg-m/s²

a. Angle / Trial = 10
Tension =0.9 N
Gravity = 9.8 m/ s 2
 T
g sin Θ
0.9
9.8 m/s 2 sin(10)
= 0.5 kg
0.5 x 1000 = 500 g

T h eoretical Value – Experimental Value

b. % Error = X 100
T h eoretical Value
508.5 – 500
X 100
508.5
= 1.7%

Given:
a. Angle / Trial = 15
Tension =1.4 N
Gravity = 9.8 m/ s 2

T
g sin Θ
1.4
9.8 m/s 2 sin(15)
= 0.5 kg
0.5 x 1000 = 500 g

T h eoretical Value – Experimental Value

b. % Error = X 100
T h eoretical Value
508.5 – 500
X 100
508.5
= 1.7%

Conclusions/Recommendation

In conclusion, the experiment worked as intended as it provided the student ample amount of
information, data example, application, and questions that needed solutions. The topic of static
equilibrium was fully discussed and understood within the confines of the task of the experiment and
no further additions of variables was needed as more than enough variables were presented.

ANSWERS TO GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. How did you account for the friction? Explain.

As we know, friction always opposes relative motion; if you apply force and the body does not
move, this indicates that there is an equivalent reaction force. When the body is in static equilibrium
and not moving, the applied force equals the frictional force. The coefficient of friction (fr) is a
 number that is the ratio of the resistive force of friction (Fr) divided by the normal or perpendicular
force (N) pushing the objects together. It is represented by the equation: fr = Fr/N

2. What factors might contribute to the difference between your calculated value and the actual
mass of the cart?

The actual mass is the is the "true" mass. What we know about the mass is based on measurements with
low precision. A range of values commensurate with the measurements will be indicated by good
measurements. Computed mass could refer to either indirect measurements of related attributes or it
could refer to an estimate calculated from theoretical assumptions. A calculated value is arbitrarily exact
since it is not affected by anything but the calculated numbers. A measured value is only as accurate as the
tolerance of its approach.

REFERENCES:

Conditions for Equilibrium | Boundless Physics. (n.d.). LumenLearning. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-physics/chapter/conditions-for-equilibrium/

Equilibrium and Statics. (n.d.). Physics Classroom. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/vectors/Lesson-3/Equilibrium-and-Statics

Moebs, W. (2016, August 3). 12.1 Conditions for Static Equilibrium – University Physics Volume 1.
Pressbooks. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from https://opentextbc.ca/universityphysicsv1openstax/chapter/12-
1-conditions-for-static-equilibrium/