Date: 3/13/2022

Title: Planning and Design

Topic:

Problem Statement: Plan and Design an experiment to investigate how the period of
oscillation of a loaded steel blade varies with the length of the blade and use the results of
your experiment to determine a value for the young modulus of steel.

Hypothesis: The length of the oscillating blade will be directly proportional to the frequency
of oscillations.
Theory:
The period (T) of an oscillating blade will vary according to the length of the blade. The
period of an oscillation, T, is the time taken for one complete oscillation. For an oscillating
blade the length (l) is dependent upon the displacement of the oscillating blade from the
clamp.
This relationship is given as the equation T= pdq where:
T = Period of oscillation
d = Length of displacement of the blade from the clamp
p and q are constants
Aim: To investigate the relationship between the period of an oscillating blade with the
displacement of said blade from a clamp and to find the young modulus of the blade.
Diagram:
Materials and Apparatus: Two 50g Masses, blade, G-Clamp, two blocks of wood of
identical dimension, ruler, Micrometer screw gauge, Stopwatch.
Method:
1. Measure the width, w, and height, h, of the blade using a Micrometer screw gauge
2. Place the blade in between the two blocks of wood.
3. Using a ruler ensure that 10 cm of the blade is displaced from the wooden blocks.
4. Using the G-Clamp clamp the wooden block together.
5. Attach the two 50g masses to the exact end of the blade
6. Move the end of the blade down and then release the blade so that it may oscillate
7. Record the time it takes for 20 oscillations to complete.
8. Measure the displaced section of the blade, el
9. Remove the 50g masses and repeat steps 5-8
10. Measure the displaced section of the blade again, eul
11. Repeat steps 5-10
12. Repeat steps 1-11 with 12.5, 15, 17.5 and 20 cm displaced
13. Create suitable a table/tables showing the results of the method
14. Create two suitable graphs, plotting Log T against Log d and F against e respectively
Variables:
Controlled: The stability of the base of the blade
Manipulated: Length of the displaced blade, Mass on the end of the blade
Responding: Time for 20 oscillations to be completed

Expected Results:
TABLE SHOWING RESULTS OF THE OSCILATION OF A CHAIN OF PAPERCLIPS
OF VARYING LENGTH
d (m) t/s t/20=T/s Log d Log T

10

12.5

15

17.5

20
 TABLE SHOWING EXTENSIONS OF THE BLADE
d (m) Mass F (mg)/N el (loaded)/m eul (unloaded)/m e ((eul + el)/2)/m

(m)/kg

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

Calculations:
Make T= pdq into a linear equation.
T= pdq
log10T= log10(pd)q
log10T= log10(p)(d)q
log10T= log10(p) + log10(d)q
log10T= log10(p) + (q)log10(d)
log10T= (q)log10(d) + log10(p)

log10T = (q)log10(d) + log10(p)

≡
y = m(x) + c
y = Log10(T)
m=q
x = Log10(d)
c = Log10(p)
Calculate the Gradient of the Log T-Log d graph

Y 2−Y 1
=m(Gradient)
X 2−X 1

Value for q

y = m(x) + c
≡
log10T = (q)log10(d) + log10(p)
m=q

What is the Y intercept?

log10T = (q)log10(d) + log10(p)

≡
y = m(x) + c

What is the value of p?

log10T = (q)log10(d) + log10(p)
≡
y = m(x) + c

What is the cross-sectional area of the blade?

A=w×h

What is the gradient of the linear region of the F-e graph?

Y 2−Y 1
=m(Gradient)
X 2−X 1
What is the young modulus?
Young modulus = gradient × (d/A)
Treatment of Results:
If the Log T-Log D graph forms a straight-line graph than it shows that the period of
oscillation of the blade varies proportionally with the length of the blade. This would prove
the hypothesis correct otherwise the hypothesis is incorrect.

Limitations:
The limitations of this experiment is that the precision of the values gathered from the
method. This is due to the measurement of the time of 20 oscillations, the width and height
of the blade and length of the displaced blade being measured by humans inherently limiting
the precision of the values to a human scale.
Sources of Error:
 The measurements could be read wrong due to the angle of observation of the
measuring instrument.
 The blade could not be properly clamped leading to the blade being being unstable
and the results unreliable.

Precautions:
 Ensure the blade is properly and tightly clamped.
 Ensure that you read the measuring instrument parallel to your eyes so that parallax
error will not occur.