/j

OBJECT:

~
~
To determine the
~
;> modulus of rigidity of
» material of wire with
~-
: the help of maxwell's
[ _,
r~ needle.
[~
r~~
 (

Apparatus required:

• Maxwell needle
• Experimental wire /
•Stopwatch _,/
• Screw guage
• Metre scale
• Physical balance
• Weight box ✓-
• Lamp J
• Scale arrangement

'J
 Description of Apparatus:
1. lVlax,vell Needle

{b)

Jrunes clerk( 183 7-1879) british physicist maxwell as ranked as the foremast physical scientist
of the 19th century. His greatest achievement was the synthesis of the contribution of faraday,
gau.Ses and ampere into a single coherent electromagnetic theory.

Maxwell needle is used to determine the shear modulus of material of a wire of a wire of
uniform circular cross section.

Com entionally, a single observation 1s taken for each obserable and the value of is
calculated in a single shot.

The maxwell needle shown in figure. lt consist of a cylindrical hollow brass AB Of length
nearly 40cm and diameter 3-4 cm with it both ends open. The tube is suspended horizontally
from a rigid support by means of experimental wire oflength nearly50 cm. A small plane
mirror Mis attached on a wire which is used in counting the nom. Of the needle with the
help of1amp and scale arrangement. There are two solid cylinder s,s and two hollow cylinder
each of same length and of diameter exactly equal to the internal diameter of the tube .these
cylinder van be kept inside the tube symmetrically to keep the tube horizontal.

When the hollow tube AB is turned slightly in a hori:wntal plane from it resting position. a
twist is produced in a suspension wire. On releasing the tube .it start executing torsional
oscillation about the axis of suspension wire. The no. of oscillation can be counted by
throwing a light from a lamp on the mirror and then receiving the reflected light on a scale.

2. Stop watch
A stop watch 1s a handhdd timepiece design tu measure Lhe amount oi'~ir 1c 0lapsed from ..
particular time when it 1s achieved to th0 time when the piece is deactivated. A \\''.lti..:h thJt l'Jn
 (

be started and stopped very quickly and that is used for measuring the amount of time that is
taken to do something.

3. Experimental wire

4. Screw guage
Screw guage is based on the principle of screw with uni form thread rotates through a whole
turn. If this scrcv. 1s provided with a circular head c.l1videcl 111to a no . Of equal parts, di stance
ad\'anced by the screw when th!.! head is rotated hy 0111.! clivis1011 can be accurately known as
apparatus. A screw guagc is cons 1st of ll -shapt.!cl solid body. Least count 1s obtained by
diYiding the pitch of the screw by the no. OF <liv1s1on on the circular scale.

5. Metre scale

6. Weight box
 7. Hollow cylinder

hollow
cylinder
p -

C~ lindncal surface is a cun ed surface generated by the parallel duplication of a line. A rigid
hollow cylinder is three dimensional in solid bunded by two parallel cylindrical surface and
by t\\O parallel circular bases cut out from two parallel plane by these two cylindrical surface.
The example of hollow cylinder is pipes, circular buildings ,and bearing bushes etc.

8. Solid cylinder
 TIIEORY 1

ln lhl' ~xpcrimcnt. tir::-t th~ hollnw cylinder I I.l l arc placed inside
and tube solid cylinder S,S
are kept tlUbide. ,, ithin thl' hollow tube AB of maxwell needle as
shown in figure (a ). And
the torsional o-.c1l1Jtion ar~ produced. In tlus case, if Tl
is the time period and 11 is the
moment t)f in1:-rti.1 of the system about the axis of wire, then

T1= 21t
. j.11C ........... (1)
Wlh.Te C 1s the torsional rigidity of wire. Then the solid cylind
er S,S are kept inside the
hollv,, cylmd er H,H are kept within the hollow tube AB of maxw
ell needle as shown in
figure (b) and the period of torsional oscillation is measured.
if I2 is the mome nt of inertia of
the system about the axis of wire,

rJ.,
T: = 2rcv·~ ........ .. (2)
Squar ing eq. ( 1) and (2) and then subtracting, we get

') ') 4rr 2 (/1-J2 )

T1- -T,- = - - - - -
- C
- 2 /1-12
C - 4 rr (T1
2
-Tz) ............ (3)
If 1 is the length of the suspension wire, r its radius and 11 the
modul us of rigidit y of its
materi al, the torsional rigidit y of its wire is

rrr,r4 z /1-12
-=4rr ( - - )
2l T12-T2 2

8rrl /1-/2
Or
11 = 7 (T12 -T22)

Now if ltt and Is respec tively be the mome nt of inertia of hollow

and solid cylind ers about an
axis passin g th~ug h their centre uf gravity and perpen dicula
r to their geome trical axis and I
be the momc qt of inertia of the empty hollow tube AB of maxw
ell's needle about the axis of
wire, then by the theore m of parallel axis of mome nt of inertia

l1 = I + 2 [ IH + M1-i(Ll8)2] + 2 [ls + Ms(3L/8)2]

And h = T + 2 [ls+ Ms(L/8)2] t 2 [111 + M1-1(3L/8)2]

Where M5, and MH are respec tively the masses of the solid
and hollow cylinders, L is the
length of the hollow tube AB of Maxw ell's needle.

Theref ore, 11 - h= -2 (Ms - MH)(L/8)2 + 2 (Ms - M 11 )(3 L/8) 2

=
Hence from abo, l' results,

2rrl (MS - MH)L 2

11
= r 4 (T12 -T22)
thus the modulus of rigidity 11 of the material of the wire can be calculated knowing all the
quantities on 1ight hand side of the above ;;!Xpression.

FORMQLA USED

Modulus of rigidity of the material of the-~

2.
1 ::= ::id ( 111.s - M H) [

. 't~(T,~-T;) -
where 1 = length of the experimental wir0 from the rigid support upto the hollo:;1 tube of the
maxwell's needle, r = radius of the experimental wire, L = length of the hollow tube of the
maxwell's needle, Ms = mass of the each solid cylinder, MH = mass of the each hollow
cylinder, T 1 = time period of the maxwell's needle when the hollow cylinder tube are inside
and the solid cylinder tube are outside, T 2 = time pe1iod of the maxwell's n~edle when the
solid cylm<ler tube are inside and the hollow cylinder tube are outside.

PROCEDURE

(I) The experimental wire is finnly fastened at it is upper ends to a 1igid support and at a
lower end of the hollow cylindrical tube of the maxwell needle such frat the tube remains
horizontal Iy.

(2) To count the number of oscillation the lamp an<l ~cale arrangement is kept in front of
Maxwell needle such that light from a lamp falling. On phme mi1Tor of the Max\\ ell needle
received on a scale after reflection from a mirror and the spot li~ht is obtained on tl 'c scale. If
lamp and scale mTangement is not iiven ,the no. Of oscillation caa be counted by .:;t.cing one
end of needle itself. •

!
1i---~~~~-!:' !!!!!!!!!!!!~~- !!!!!!!!!!~•l'!! !!!!'!!. ~~~!!!!!!!!!!!'J
 l needle
(3) ~ow put the hollow l')'lindcr inside Ull(I snlid cyli11dcr me outside of'thc muxwcl
o~c11lutc, It 1'i in horizontal plOlll' about\ crtirnl uxis. It is shown in figure .Note the time
the tube.
forlO. 20.md3ll ('scill,Hion. I nh· cnrc that no po1tio11 ol'thc cylinclc:r rrojccts outside
and then
(4) Turn th.: tubl' sln~htly in the horizontal plane without giving it any lateral motion
rdc.~l' 1t. 11K "' ,ll·m ,, ill ~tart cxccutmg torsional oscillation.

(5) The 11K·n:..-urc th~ tune ti of 20 oscillat1on with the help of the stop watch and then
experiment
di, iding t us umc \\ ith the no. Of oscillation the time period tl is calculated. The
i~ repeated w obtain three obsen.ation and mean time periodTl is found.
l needle.
l6) Now. plJce solid cylinder at iGside and hollow cylinder at outside of the maxwel
o~c-ill..itc nm hon.wntal plane about t

The, i:rrical a"\.is. note the time for 10, 20and 30 oscillation and find it mean.
This will
then find
pro, 1de the, alue ofT2. The experiment is repeated to obtain three observation and
the mean tm1e period T2.
hanged
l 7)Measure the length of wire using meter scale through which the maxwell needle is
this \\ iJ.l g, . e you the value of 1.

(S) Measure the length of maxwell needle by meter scale this will give you tbe
value ofL.

place in
(9) ~,leasure the diameter of wire, using a screw guage at several places and at each
the radius of
two ::nutually perpendicular direction take it is mean and then divicle it 2 by find

r of the "·ire.
provide the
(I0)Measure the mass of both solid cylinder using balance and do it half this will
will
value of half of Ms. Measure the mass of both the hollow cylinder and do it half this
provide the value ofMtt.
 OBSERVATIONS

I. For r I :mcl T:i

Least count or the stop watch sec
s. 1\0.
···- --

Numhcr~ of
- ~

When hollow cylinder [hen solid cylinder are I

o,cillntions arc inside and solid irn,ide and hollow
n cylinder arc outside cylmdcr are outside I
Total time I
Time · Total time Time period
tI period t2 T2 -' t2/n
(111 sec) Ti =t1/n (in sec) (in sec)
(in sec)
1. ... t>S r,
2.
' '
I ~- I
,I ~.

Mean time period T 1 = _ _ sec

~1ear! time period T2 = _ _ sec
·, For the radius of wire
I
Least cou..1t of screw guage = _ _cm
!
Zero error = ± cm \
' r J I

I Main Scale Reading

'

Circular scale reading _ Total reading

=M. S.
I
S. So. Number of Number x L. Reading + .C.
(in cm) circular scale C. S. Reading 1:
I
divisions (in cm) i.e. observed I
coinciding the diameter
!

r
i base line (in cm)
/

I
14 I

Mean observed diam eter = cm

'I rue d, ::mckr d := Mean obsen,<.;J Diam_<>4,!:e - Zero erro~ (with sigaj
-· cm
1
diametre d
Therefore, R&dius uf win.~ r
2 ·1
cm 111 I
- . The !en1:-,,th of tl1e su"pension wire l - cm m
.;_ Lc:n 6>th ofhollov. tubi::: iJl'maxwd! '•; 111.:cdlc _L . I
em - __ __ n,
l\•1cun ma:,:; of the: solid cylind,:r rvts gm _ __ __kg
Mean ma:)~ udhc: hollow cyli .idcr M: 1 = <rm ... ko·
--0 --'O
 CALCUTIONS

2rrl (MS - MH)L 2

Substituting the , Jlucs of the quantities in the l!Xprcssio11 11 =- _ _..;..___,;__. , the
r 4 (T12 T22)
modulus of 1igid1t~ of the material of the be calculated.

2n:l (MS - MH)L 2

11
= r 4 (T12 - T22)

RESULT

The modulus of 1igidity of material of wire

Tl = _ _ N/m2

STANDARD VALUE

11 = _ _ N/n/ (from standard table)

PERCENTAGE ERROR

Experimental value-standard value

Perceritage error= S d d 100%
. tan ar va 1ue

PRECAUTIONS

(1) The experimental wire must be long and thin.It must be torsionless.

(2) All the four cylinder must be of equal length and the length of each cylindennust be
exectly one-fourth the length of hollow tube of maxwell needle.

(3)The mass of both the solid cylinder should be identical and similarly both the b ,llow
cylinder must be identical in mass.
(4) The hollow tube of maxwell needle should always remain horizontal so that
the moment
of inertia of hollow tube about the axis of rotation may not change.

(5) There must be only torsional oscillation in the needle and no other type of oscilla
tion.

(6)The needle should be tum only through a small angle and then released so that t,, ist in the
wire may not be beyond the elastic limit.

(7) No parts of cylinder should project outside the hollow tube.

(8)Thc radius of experimental wire should he measured very cnrefully bc~ausc it is n very
small quantity and ii occur as fourth power in formul a.