TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

TAGUIG CAMPUS

ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

NAME:
PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

SECTION: DATE:

INSTRUCTOR:
LABORATORY NO. 2 ENGR. MARCELO C. GONTIÑAS,
EE
DIRECTIONS:
 Click “Balancing Act 1.1.26 (colorado.edu)”
 Select the “Balance Lab”
 Select “Mass Labels”, “Rulers”, “Forces from objects” and “Level” under the
“Show” box.
 The screen should look like the following:

 Notice the arrow under “Bricks” in the second box. Click that arrow. You
will see other objects (like people and mystery packages) that you will
use for various parts of this activity. For now, we will use the bricks.
Also notice the “Remove Supports” button. We will use this button
frequently. Click that button now. Does anything happen?

PART A. ROTATIONAL EQUILIBRIUM CONDITIONS

1) Select the 5-kg brick and place it 0.25-m from the center of rotation
(called the fulcrum). Place another 5-kg brock at the opposite 0.25-m.
Remove the supports. Does the seesaw move? Why/Why not?

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2) Put the supports back. Now move one of the 5-kg bricks to the 0.5 m
position. Remove the supports again. Does the seesaw move?
Why/Why not?
3) Move the same 5-kg brick to the 1.0-m position. How does the position
of the seesaw compare to its position when the brick was at the 0.5-m
position? Why is this case?
4) Put the supports back in place and remove one of the 5 kg bricks. Place the
other at the 0.25-m mark and then add a 10-kg brick to the 0.25-m mark
on the other side. Remove the supports. Does the seesaw move?
Why/Why not?
5) Replace the 10-kg brick with a 20-kg brick. How is the motion of the
seesaw affected? Why does this happen?
6) What does it mean to be in a state of rotational equilibrium?

PART B. SIMPLE ROTATIONAL EQUILIBRIUM

In this part of the activity, you will be placing objects at various positions to
balance the seesaw. You will be told a starting mass (brick or person) and
position and then will determine a second mass (select one object) and where it
should be placed in order to balance it out. The first one has been done as an
example. Check your answer by placing the objects on the seesaw and removing
the supports. Take a screenshot and attached it on the file you will submit.

1st Mass 2nd Mass 2nd Position

1st Position (m) ↻ 𝑀− ↺ 𝑀 = 0
(kg) (kg) (m)
(20)(9.8)(0.5) − (5)(9.8)(𝑥)
20 0.5 =0 5 2.0

20 1.0
80 0.25
30 0.5
10 1.0
5 2.0
15 1.0

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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

PART C. COMPLEX ROTATIONAL EQUILIBRIUM
For this part you will be working with situations with multiple objects on the same
side of the fulcrum and then will determine a second mass (select one object)
and where it should be placed in order to balance it out. For example:

1st 1st 2nd Mass 2nd Position 3rd Mass 3rd

Position ↻ 𝑀− ↺ 𝑀 = 0 Position
Mass (kg) (m) (kg)
(kg) (m) (m)
(60)(9.8)(𝑥)
0.75-m
2 1.5-m Left 30 0.50-m Left − (20)(9.8)(1.5) 60
− (30)(9.8)(0.5) = Right
0
0
2 1.0-m Left 60 2.0-m Left
0
8 1.5-m Left 30 0.5-m Right
0
0.25-m
6 1.0-m Left 80 Right
0
PART D: MYSTERY PACKAGES
For this part, you will determine the masses of the mystery packages based on
known objects and distances.
Mass of
1st Mass 1st Position Mystery Position
↻ 𝑀− ↺ 𝑀 = 0 Packag
(kg) (m) Left Package (m)
Right e
(kg)
(𝑥)(9.8)(1.5)
60 0.5 A 1.5 20
− (60)(9.8)(0.5) =
0
30 1.0 C
30 0.25 D

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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

60 0.25 H

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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

1st 2nd Mass of

1st Mass 2nd Mass Myster Position
Position Position ↻ 𝑀− ↺ 𝑀 = Package
(kg) (kg) 0 y (m)
(m) (m) (kg)
Packag
e
1.75-m 0.5-m
20 80 F
Left Left
1.75-m
60 0.5-m Left 15 E
Right
0.25-m 1.0-m
20 5 B
Left Left

If you are trying to balance a seesaw and you have a higher mass on the left,
should the mass on the right be placed at a greater distance or lower distance to
balance it? Why?

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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

ANSWER
PART A: ROTATIONAL EQUILIBRIUM 3) As I moved the left brick to 1.0
CONDITIONS meter the seesaw falls to the
1) NO, because it has the same left side and it doubles the
mass both side and creates angle and the force of the left
equilibrium. side of seesaw from the 2nd
question. Moving the brick
further from the fulcrum
affects the forces of the side.

4) YES, As I add 10kg to left side

with same distance from the
other side. The seesaw falls in
the left side but in a half
position only. Because it has
the same length but the left
side has a greater mass and
mass affects the force of the
2) YES, as I moved the brick to left side.
the left side the seesaw fall to
the left side but in a half
position only, although it has
the same mass, but the
distance is greater in the left
side and it affects the force to
the left side.

5) As I add 20kg to the left side

with the same distance from
the other side, the seesaw fall
to the left side and it doubles
the angle and the force to the
left side of seesaw from the
4th question. Adding more
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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

mass to the one side, affects
the force of that side

6) The rotational equilibrium states that

an objects with the same mass and
distance will be balanced. The object
will not be balanced if the distance is
the same but the mass is different.
The item is not balanced since it is at
a different distance and has the same
mass.

PART B: SIMPLE ROTATION EQUILIBRIUM

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TAGUIG CAMPUS

ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

1st Mass 2nd Mass 2nd Position
1st Position (m) ↻ 𝑀− ↺ 𝑀 = 0
(kg) (kg) (m)
(20)(9.8)(0.5) − (5)(9.8)(𝑥)
20 0.5 5 2.0
=0
20 1.0 (20)(9.8)(1.0) - (20)(9.8)(x) = 0 20 1.0

80 0.25 (80)(9.8)(0.25) - (20)(9.8)(x) = 0 20 1.0

30 0.5 (30)(9.8)(0.5) - (15)(9.8)(x) = 0 15 1.0

10 1.0 (10)(9.8)(1.0) – (20)(9.8)(x) = 0 20 0.5

5 2.0 (5)(9.8)(2.0) – (20)(9.8)(x)= 0 20 0.5

15 1.0 (15)(9.8)(1.0) – (60)(9.8)(x)= 0 60 0.25

 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
TAGUIG CAMPUS

ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

1)

3)

2)

4)
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TAGUIG CAMPUS

ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

7)

5)

6)
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PART C: COMPLEX ROTATIONAL EQUIULIBRIUM

1)
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2)

3)

4)

PART D: MYSTERY PACKAGE

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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

-
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1) 6)

2) 7)

3)

4)

5)
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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

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ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED DEPARTMENT

LAST QUESTION
YES. You should put the lower mass of the right in a greater the distance to
balance the seesaw. Base on the previous activity in part a putting the object in
further distance from the fulcrum increasing the force of the side.