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PRACTICAL MANUAL
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
MEC 111 (STATICS)

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
NUHU BAMALLI POLYTECHNIC, ZARIA
Experiment; 1

Tittle: principle of moment

Aim: to verify the principle of moment

Task objectives:

 Suspend mass at various distances from a pivot to generate different moment.

 Investigate how to balance clockwise and anti-clockwise moment.

Apparatus:

 metre rule with a hole drilled at 50cm mark

 optical pin ( at least 5cm long)
 masses of ( 50g and 100g )
 retort stand
 plasticine
 thread

Procedure:

0 d1 d2 100

50g 100g

1. clamp the optical pin horizontally at a height of 25cm above the bench
2. pivot the metre rule at 50cm mark, the metre rule most be able to rotate freely
3. check whether the metre rule is able to be balance horizontally, if not add the
plasticine to the rule to balance it
 4. by means of a loop, hang the mass M1=50g on one side of the rule at 5cm
mark so that the distance d1 from the 50g mass to the pivot is 45cm
5. balance the rule horizontally by hanging the mass M2=100g on the other side,
measure the distance d2 from the 100g of the pivot and record the result in
the given table
6. repeat step 4 and 5 for the values of d1=40cm, 35cm, 30cm, 25cm and 20cm
7. plot a graph of d1 against d2 determine the slope m and the Y- intercept

Observation Table

Mass Distance Mass Distance Anti-clockwise clockwise moment

moment
W1=M1*g/N d1/cm W2=M2*g/N d2/cm W2*d2/Ncm
W1*d1/Ncm

Take g=9.8 (acceleration due to gravity)

Precaution; states 5 safety precautions

Conclusion;
Experiment; 2

Tittle: simple harmonic motion

Aim: To find the relationship between the length of a simple pendulum and the
period of oscillation.

Theory: When the length of a simple pendulum increases, the period of oscillation
also increases. The period of pendulum is affected by the length of the thread.
The longer the length of a simple pendulum, the longer will be the period of
oscillation

Apparatus: Retort stand, pendulum bob, thread, metre rule, stop watch.

Procedure:

FUNCTIONAL DIAGRAM

a) Set up the apparatus as shown in Figure above./ attached a small brass or

Bob to the thread. Held the thread by a clamp of the retort stand.
 b) Measure the length of the thread, l by a metre rule, starting

With 90.0 cm. Displace and release the pendulums bob.

c) Record the time for 20 complete oscillations, t using the stop

Watch. Calculate the period of oscillation by using, T = t / 20

d) Repeat the experiment using different lengths such as

80.0cm, 70.0cm, 60.0 cm, 50.0 cm and 40.0 cm.

Observation table

Length of Time taken for 20 Period of T2

string, l / cm oscillation
oscillation, t (s) (s2 )
T= t / 20
t1 t2 Average, t

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

. Plot a graph of L against T2

Precaution: of the experiment / to improve the accuracy

a) The bob of the pendulum was displaced with a small angle

b) The amplitude of the oscillation of a simple pendulum is small.

c) The simple pendulum oscillates in a vertical plane only.

d) Switch off the fan to reduce the air resistance

. Conclusion:
Experiment: 3

Objectives: To verify triangle law of forces and parallelogram law of forces with the
help of grave sand’s apparatus.

Theory: Triangle law states that if three coplanar forces acting on a particle can be
represented in magnitude and direction by the three side of a triangle taken in order,
the forces will be in equilibrium.

Parallelogram law of forces states that if two force act upon a particle they can be
represented in magnitude and direction by the adjacent sides of parallelogram their
resultant is represented by the diagonal of the parallelogram.

Apparatus: Grave sand’s apparatus, paper sheet, weight, thread, drawing pin, set
square, pencil etc.

Procedures

Grave sand

Pulley

P Q thread

Paper sheet

R pin

Weight
 1. fix the paper sheet with drawing pins on the board
2. Pass first thread over the two top pulleys and fix the weight hooks on the two
ends of the thread.
3. Tie a second thread at the middle of the first thread and hang a weight hook
on it
4. Add weight on the hook until the knot of the second thread comes
approximately in the centre
5. Displace slightly the weights from their position of equilibrium and note if they
come to their original position. This will ensure free movement of pulley
6. Use drawing set and pencil trace out carefully the position of the thread,
7. Mark line of forces and write their magnitude
8. Remove the paper from the board and produce the line to meet at O.
9. Use bow’s notation to name the forces P, Q and R as AB, BC and CA
10. Select a suitable scale and draw the line ab parallel to force P and equal in
magnitude. From b draw line bc parallel to Q and also equal in magnitude ,
calculate the magnitude of ca i.e. R which will be equal to the third force R1
this proves the triangle law. If R differs from original magnitude R1 then
calculate percentage error.
11. Produce the space and vector diagram of the triangle law of forces.

Mathematically measure angle by using lamis theorem

P/sinα = Q/sinβ = R1/sin∞

Observation table

S/N P Q R R1 α β ∞
Precautions

 All pulleys should be free from friction

 Make sure weight are at rest when the line of action of forces are marked

 Add more

Conclusion
Experiment: 4

Tittle: Coefficient of friction

Objectives: To the determine the coefficient of friction between two surfaces

Apparatus: Wooden board, table, wooden block, weight spring balance, pulley,
hanger, 30cm thread

Procedures:

Wooden block

Hook Pulley

Thread

Weight

1. use the spring balance to determine the weight W 0 the wooden block
2. connect the spring balance to the wooden block as shown in in the diagram
above
3. Pull the spring balance lightly, note and record the reading on the spring
balance F when the block just begins to slide.
4. Place a mass of M=50g on the wooden block and determine R=W 0 + m
5. Again, pull the spring balance lightly, note and record the reading spring
balance, F when the block just begin to slide
6. Repeat the experiment for M=70g, 100g, 120g, 170g and 200g. in each case
determine Rand F
7. Plot a graph of F against R
8. Determine the slope
Observation table

S/N Mass M R=W 0* g+ m F=W B*g µ= F / R

Precaution

States three (3) precautions taken to ensure accurate result

Conclusion
Experiment: 5

Tittle: principle of elasticity

Objectives: to verify hooks ’law

Apparatus:

Retort stand, slotted mass, clamp, pointer, meter rule, spiral spring

Procedures

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

1. Suspend the given spiral spring vertically as shown in the figure above
2. Attach a scale fan and note the position Lo of the pointer on the meter rule
 3. Add a mass m=100g to scale pan and note the new position L of the pointer
4. Determine the extension e = L – Lo produced
5. Repeat the experiment for m = 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500
6. In each case determine the extension e produced and tabulate your readings
7. Plot a graph of e on the vertical axis and m on the horizontal axis
8. Determine the slope or gradient of the graph

Observation table

Mass (g) Weight (N) Length of Extension of Slope or

spring spring (L) cm gradient
(Lo) cm
0
100
200
250
300
350
400
450
500

Precautions: states five 5 the safety precautions during the experiment

Conclusion: